STUDIES 

•  IN 

OLD  TESTAMENT  HIST0R1\ 

Bv  Rej^.JIssoL.  Huvlbu-t,  D.  D. 


BSII97 
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LIBRARY    OF    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.    J. 
PRESENTED  BY 

PRINCETON   UNIVERSITY 


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-^STUDIES^ 


IX 


OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 


Bv  I^eu.  Jesse  (^.  |idjrlbijt,  D.D., 

AUTHOR   OK 

A  MANUAL  OF  BIBLE  GEOGRAPHY."    "  REVISED    NORMAL  LESSONS."  "SUPPLE- 
MENTAL LESSONS  FOR  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL,"  and 
"STUDIES  IN  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS.  ' 


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New    Vork;    HUNT  &   EATON.  Cincinnaii  .    cKy->iMSTON   &   CURTS. 


V, 


por  f\\\  5^9day-5el?ool  U/orl\er5, 


rOE  THE 
SUPERINTENDENT. 


FOR  TEACHERS 

AND 

NORMAL  CLASSES. 


FOR  THE 
SCHOLARS. 


OUR  SUPERINTESDEXT.    By  J.  H.  Vincent,    io  cents. 

THE  MODEBX  SUXDAY-SCHOOL.    By  J.  H.  Vincent,     .gc 

The  first  of  these  is  an  inspiring  talk  with  the  superintendent 
upon  the  duties  of  his  office  and  how  to  perform  them.  The 
second  is  a  thorough  explanation  of  the  best  methods  of  con- 
ducting a  Sunday-school. 

The  Sunday-school  experience  of  one  hundred  years  has 
proved  that  without  well  trained  teachers  success  is  only  partial. 
Our  list  of  books,  adapted  both  for  private  use  and  for  normal 
teaching,  is  unsurpassed  : 

SUNDAT-SCHOOL  SCIENCE.    By  R.  S.  Holmes.    20  cents. 

REVISED  NORMAL  LESSONS.     By  J.  L.  Hurlbut.     23  cents. 

STUDIES   IN  THE   FOUR   GOSPELS.     By  J.   L.   Huklbut. 
25  cents. 

OPEN  LETTERS  TO  PRIMARY  TEACHERS.     By  Mrs.  W.  F. 

CuAFTS.     40  cents. 

NORMAL  OUTLINE  SERIES: 

Bible  History.     By  J.  F.  HuRST.     40  cents. 
Christian  Evidences.     By  Joseph  Alden.     35  cents. 
Church  History.     By  John  F.  Hurst     40  cents. 
On  Teaching.     By  Joseph  Alden.     35  cents. 
English  Bible.     By  J.  M.  Freeman.     40  cents. 

CHAUTAUQUA  TEXT-BOOKS.     Price,  10  cents  each. 
No.  22.  On  Biblical  Biologj'. 
No.  28.  Manners  and  Customs  of  Bible  Times. 
No.  36.  Assembly  Bible  Outlines. 
No.  37.   Assembly  Normal  Outlines. 
No.  39.  The  Normal  Class. 
No.  41.  The  Teacher  Before  his  Class. 
No.  42.     Outlines  of  Methodism. 
No.  49.  Palestine. 

For  the  many  earnest  teachers  who  desire  to  give  their  schol- 
ars a  more  comprehensive  course  than  that  of  the  International 
Lesson  Series  a  series  of  Supplemental  Lessons  has  been  pre- 
pared. These  are  not  intended  to  displace  the  regular  lesson, 
but  to  fill  out  its  deficiencies,  to  supplement  it  with  other  studies 
with  which  young  people  should  be  acquainted  : 

SUPPLEMENTAL  LESSONS.     By  J.  L.  Hurlbut.     25  cents. 

GRADED  LESSONS  FOR  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL.     By  H.  A. 

Strong.     Seven  numbers.     Sample  set,  40  cents. 

PALESTINE    CLASS.      By  J.   H.   Vincent.      Four    leaflets. 

2  cents  each  ;  6  cents  per  set. 

YOUNG  TRAVELERS'  CLASS.      By   Mrs.    M.    G.  Kennedy. 

Seven  numbers.     2  cents  each  ;  6  cents  per  set. 

YOUNG   FOLKS'  WALKS  AND  TALKS  WITH  JESUS.     By 

Mrs.  M.  G.  Kennedy.     Eight  numbers.     2  cents  each;  ic 
cents  per  set. 


New  York:  HUNT  &  EATON.         Cincinnati:  CRANSTON  &  CURT& 


*^ 


^  iiivmSe 


iiaw 


STUDIES  ^%imrf 


IN 


OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 


REV.  JESSE  L.  HURLBUT,  D.D. 


AUTHOR    OK 


">i  Manual  of  Bible  Geography"  '•  Outline  Normal  Lessons,''''  "  Supplementa 
Lessons  for  the  Sunday-School,''  and  "  Studies  in  the  Four  Gospels." 


NEW  YORK:   HUNT  &  EATON 
CINCINNATI:   CRANSTON  &  CURTS 


Copyright,  1S90,  by 

HUNT    &     EATON, 

Mew  York. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Preface 5 

Chronological  Table 9 

Hints  to  Students 11 

Hints  to  Teachers 13 

The  Course  Divided  Into  Lessons 14 

First  Study. — The  Beginnings  of  Bible  History 17 

Second  Study. — Tlie  Wandering  in  the  Wilderness 25 

Third  Study. — The  Conquest  of  Canaan 34 

Fourth  Study. — The  Age  of  the  Heroes 41 

Fifth  Study. — The  Rise  of  the  Israelite  Empire 49 

Sixth  Study. — The  Golden  Age  of  Israel 56 

Seventh  Study. — The  Rival  Thrones — Israel 63 

Eighth  Study. — The  Rival  Thrones — Judah 71 

Ninth  Study.— The  Captivity  of  Judah 77 

Tenth  Study. — The  Jewish  Province 88 


FULL-PAGE  MAPS. 

Empire  of  David  and  Solomon Facing  title-page, 

Canaan 16 

Old  Testament  World 19 

Modern  Jerusalem 48 

The  Divisions  of  Solomon's  Empire 62 

Solomon's  Dominions 76 

Alexander's  Empire QO 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE. 


These  dates  are  taken  from  the  common  chronology,  and  those  earlier 
than  the  Exodus  are  probably  inaccurate.  (See  foot-note  on  page  22.)  The 
student  will  find  that  to  commit  this  table  to  memory  will  give  him  com- 
mand of  the  most  important  facts  of  Bible  history. 

1.  The  Deluge B.  C.  2348 

2.  The  Dispersion  of  the  Races "  2247 

3.  The  Rise  of  the  Empires , "  2200 

4.  The  Migration  of  Abraham "  1921 

5.  The  Descent  into  Egypt "  1 706 

6.  The  E.xodus  from  Egypt , '*  1491 

7.  The  Battle  of  Beth-horon *'  1451 

8.  The  Death  of  Joshua "  1426 

9.  The  Victory  of  Gideon "  1245 

10.  The  Coronation  of  Saul "  1095 

11.  The  Accession  of  David "  1055 

12.  The  Division  of  the  Kingdom "  975 

13.  The  Fall  of  Samaria "  721 

14.  The  Captivity  at  Babylon "  587 

15.  The  Return  from  Captivity "  536 

16.  The  Reforms  of  Ezra "  450 

17.  The  Empire  of  Alexander "  330 

18.  The  Maccabean  Independence "  166 

19.  The  Accession  of  Herod "  40 

30.  The  Birth  of  Christ "  4 

1* 


PREFACE. 


The  New  Testament  is  the  outgrowth  and  development  of 
the  Old.  There  is  no  revelation  in  the  gospels  or  the  epistles 
which  is  not  in  its  essence  contained  in  the  elder  Scripture  ; 
though  to  make  it  manifest  required  the  incarnation  of  God's 
Son  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore,  to  under- 
stand the  New  Testament  it  is  necessary  to  study  the  Old 
Testament.  We  cannot  appreciate  Matthew's  point  of  view 
of  Christ  as  the  Messiah  until  we  have  looked  upon  the  throne 
of  David,  and  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  ;  the  theology  of  Paul 
is  blind  until  read  in  the  light  of  Moses  and  Isaiah  ;  and  He- 
brews will  obtain  a  new  meaning  when  placed  side  by  side 
with  Leviticus.  Every  chapter  in  the  New  Testament  has  its 
references  to  parallel  passages  in  the  Old  Testament. 

When  we  open  tlie  Old  Testament  we  find  it,  first  of  all,  a 
book  of  history.  We  are  apt  to  look  upon  the  Bible  as  a 
dictionary  of  doctrine,  wherein  we  are  to  search  for  sentences 
as  proof-texts.  But  instead  it  contains  the  story  of  redemp- 
tion in  the  form  of  a  history.  We  see  how  God  chose  a  fam- 
ily and  pruned  off  its  dead  branches  and  caused  it  to  grow 
into  a  nation  ;  then,  how  he  trained  and  disciplined  that  na- 
tion through  fifteen  centuries,  until  upon  it  blossomed  the 
Divine  Man.  The  history  of  the  liible  is  the  history  of  hu- 
manity, of  literature,  of  ethics,  of  religion,  of  doctrine;  and 
no  one  who  studies  it  carefully  will  fail  of  an  abundant  re- 
ward for  his  endeavor. 


8  PREFACE. 

Ill  most  works  upon  Bible  history  the  purpose  of  the  author 
seems  to  be  merely  to  arrange  in  chronological  order  a  series 
of  events  without  much  regard  to  their  importance  or  their 
relations  to  each  other.  The  successive  reigns  of  kings,  the 
chronicles  of  courts,  the  reports  of  battles  form  the  contents 
of  most  histories,  whether  sacred  or  secular.  Works  like  these 
have  their  value  in  the  statement  of  those  facts  which  form 
the  basis  and  working  material  of  history.  But  mere  facts 
chronologically  arranged  do  not  constitute  a  history,  any 
more  than  words  alphabetically  arranged  constitute  a  liter- 
ature. True  history  records  processes,  the  relation  of  cause 
and  effect,  the  formative  influences  and  their  result  in  national 
life.  The  true  history  of  England  shows  not  annals  of  kings 
and  achievements  of  warriors,  but  the  development  of  a  mighty 
people.  The  true  history  of  Greece  gives  the  secret  springs 
of  that  intense  activity  which  in  two  centuries  called  forth 
more  great  men  in  more  departments  of  life  than  all  the  rest 
of  the  world  could  produce  in  a  thousand  years.  The  true 
history  of  Israel — which  is  the  history  of  the  Old  Testament 
— shows  how  a  little  people  in  their  mountain-eyrie  grew  up  to 
a  destiny  more  glorious  than  that  of  the  proudest  empire  of 
all  the  earth,  the  honor  of  giving  religion  to  mankind. 

The  aim  of  this  little  book  is  to  present  the  outlines  of  that 
remarkable  history  of  the  chosen  people.  What  their  mission 
was,  how  they  were  trained  for  it,  and  how  the  world  was  pre- 
pared to  receive  it  together  constitute  the  three  threads  woven 
together  in  this  work.  It  is  a  book  of  outlines  to  be  studied, 
not  of  chapters  to  be  read.  The  reader  will  doubtless  find  the 
paragraphs  somewhat  disconnected,  but  we  trust  that  the 
student  may  receive  from  tliem  suggestions  for  thought. 

In   the    preparation    of  this   book  many   works  have  been 


PREFACE.  9 

read  and  examined  ;  but  it  is  not  my  i)urpose  to  give  a  cat- 
alogue of  them.  I  would  name,  however,  a  very  few  books 
which  will  be  of  service  to  the  student,  and  will  be  almost  a 
necessity  for  the  teacher  who  expects  to  use  these  outlines  in 
the  class,  for  one  secret  of  successful  teaching  is  for  the  teacher 
to  have  at  his  command  a  fund  of  knowledge  vastly  greater 
than  that  contained  in  the  text-book.  For  this  purpose  the 
following  works  are  named,  none  of  which  are  too  abstruse  or 
difficult  for  the  average  reader  : 

1.  Outline  of  Bible  History.  Bishop  J.  F.  Hurst.  A  small 
book,  containing  merely  the  facts  of  the  subject. 

2.  Old  Testament  History.  William  Smith.  A  larger  work 
and  valuable,  but  ending  with  the  Old  Testament  canon.  An 
additional  chapter  on  the  interval  betAveen  Old  and  New 
Testament  history  would  greatly  improve  the  book. 

3.  Leetures  on  the  History  of  the  J  elvish  Church.  Dean  A. 
P.  Stanley.  Three  large  volumes,  in  a  brilliant  but  diffuse 
style,  advanced  to  the  knowledge  of  twenty  years  ago ;  not 
altogether  sound  in  its  critical  point  of  view,  yet  to  be  read 
by  all  who  would  understand  the  subject. 

4.  Hours  7vith  the  Bible.  Cunningham  Geikie.  Six  vol- 
umes, discussing  Bible  history  in  all  of  its  aspects,  particularly 
in  its  relations  with  secular  history.  Perhaps  this  is  the  best 
work  on  the  subject  for  the  reader  who  is  not  a  specialist. 
lUit  it  is  prolix,  and  could  be  compressed  to  advantage. 

There  is  need,  in  my  opinion,  of  a  good  semi-popular  Bible 
history,  in  one  volume  or  two,  to  present  results  rather  than 
processes  of  thought,  and  to  embody  all  the  latest  knowledge 
from  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  monuments  of  the 
ancient  world. 

It  is  needless  to  urge  upon  the  student  that  the  best   book 


lo  PREFACE. 

for  the  study  of  Bible  history  is  the  Bible  itself.  The  histor- 
ical books  should  be  read  with  great  care,  even  to  their  details 
of  genealogical  tables.  The  most  valuable  document  in  the 
study  of  the  origin  of  races  is  the  tenth  chapter  of  Genesis  ; 
and  a  catalogue  of  names  in  the  opening  of  Chronicles  will 
give  a  clew  to  the  chronology  of  the  sojourn  in  Egypt.  The 
prophetical  books  will  aid  the  student,  and  the  Psalms  will 
irradiate  certain  dark  periods.  Whoever  undertakes  to  use 
these  outlines  should  examine  every  text  cited  for  its  sug- 
gestion upon  the  subject. 

This  book  is  commended  to  Bible  students,  to  Sunday- 
school  normal  classes,  and  to  all  who  love  the  word,  with  a 
hope  that  it  may  be  of  service  in  calling  attention  to  the  Old 
Testament,  and  that  it  may  lead  some  through  the  Old  to 
enter  into  a  better  spiritual  understanding  of  the  New. 

JESSE   L.   HURLBUT. 


HINTS  TO  STUDENTS. 


Those  who  desire  merely  to  read  this  book  or  to  look  it  over  will  not 
find  it  interesting.  Those  who  already  know  how  to  study  will  not  need 
these  hints,  and  can  use  the  book  in  their  own  way.  But  there  are  many 
who  desire  to  study  these  subjects  carefully,  and  yet  do  not  know  precisely 
how  to  do  the  work.  For  these  students,  earnest  but  untrained,  the  hints 
are  given. 

1.  These  studies  should  be  pursued  witli  the  Bible  close  at  hand,  so  that 
every  Scripture  reference  may  be  at  once  searched  out  and  read. 

2.  Begin  each  lesson  by  a  general  view  ;  reading  it  through  carefully, 
and  memorizing  the  leading  divisions  of  the  outline,  which  are  indicated  by 
the  Roman  numerals  I,  II,  III,  etc.  This  will  give  the  general  plan  of 
the  lesson. 

3.  Now  take  up  Part  I  of  the  lesson  in  detail  ;  notice  and  memorize  its 
subdivisions,  indicated  by  i,  2,  3,  etc.,  and  search  out  the  Scripture  refer- 
ences cited  in  it.  If  practicable,  write  out  on  a  sheet  of  paper  the  reference 
(not  the  language  of  the  text  in  full),  and  what  each  reference  shows.  Thus, 
with  the  references  in  the  First  Study,  page  17,  Part  I : 

Beginnings  of  Bible  History.     Part  I.     Deluge. 
Gen.  7.      Description  of  the  flood. 

Gen.  6.  5-7.     God  punished  the  world  for  wickedness. 
Gen.  7.  23.     Covered  the  inhabited  earth. 

4.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  to  write  out  in  full,  as  a  connected  statement, 
all  the  facts  in  the  section  ;  thus :  "  The  Bible  says  there  was  a  deluge  and 
the  traditions  of  other  nations  attest  it.  The  date  commonly  given  is  2348 
B.  C.  Its  cause  was  God's  anger  with  the  wickedness  of  the  race,  and  it 
covered  the  inhabited  globe.  God's  purpose  was  to  cleanse  the  world  for  a 
new  epoch." 

5.  In  like  manner  study  out  and  write  out  all  the  facts  obtained  by  a 
study  of  the  lesson  and  the  texts  cited  in  it.  This  will  greatly  aid  the 
memory  in  holding  fast  to  the  information  gained. 

6.  Having  done  this,  look  at  the  blackboard  outline  at  the  end  of  the 
study,  and  see  if  you  can  read  the  outline  of  the  lesson  by  the  aid  of  the 
catch-words  and  indications  which  it  affords.     Study  the  lesson  until  you 


12  HINTS  TO  STUDENTS. 

can  read  it  with  the  blackboard  outline,  and  then  recall  it  without  the  out- 
line. 

7.  Now  read  over  the  questions  for  review,  one  by  one,  and  see  if  you 
can  answer  them.  Do  not  cease  your  study  until  every  question  can  be 
answered  without  the  aid  of  the  text. 

8.  Frequently  review  the  lessons  already  learned.  Before  beginning  the 
third  study  review  the  first  and  the  second;  before  the  fourth,  review  the  first, 
second,  and  tliird,  and  at  the  completion  of  all  the  studies  review  them  all. 
The  knowledge  gained  by  this  thorough  study  will  more  than  compensate 
for  the  time  and  trouble  which  it  requires. 


HINTS  TO  TEACHERS. 


Classes  may  be  organized  on  various  plans  and  out  of  varied  materiais 
for  the  study  of  these  lessons. 

1.  A  teachers'  class,  composed  of  teachers,  and  also  of  senior  scholars  in 
the  Sunday-school,  may  be  formed  to  study  the  life  of  Christ?  which  is  one 
of  the  most  important  subjects  in  the  Bible.  This  may  meet  on  an  evening 
or  an  afternoon,  and  devote  all  the  sessions  to  the  study  of  the  lesson,  and 
to  discussions  upon  it. 

2.  In  many  places  a  teachers'  meeting  is  held  for  the  study  of  the  Inter- 
national Lesson,  as  a  preparation  for  the  Sunday-school  class.  A  part 
of  the  time  might  be  taken  at  this  meeting  for  the  study  of  these  subjects. 
In  that  case  it  would  be  well  to  follow  the  division  into  lessons,  as  given 
on  page  14. 

3.  A  normal  class  maybe  organized  among  the  brightest  scholars  in  the 
Sunday-school,  wlio  sliould  be  trained  to  become  teachers.  This  normal 
class  may  meet  on  an  afternoon  or  an  evening,  or  may  take  a  lesson- 
period  in  the  vSunday-school  session. 

4.  These  studies  may  be  pursued  by  the  young  people's  society  of  the 
church,  or  by  a  class  formed  under  its  auspices,  meeting  at  such  time  and 
place  as  shall  be  found  most  convenient. 

There  are  two  methods  in  which  these  lessons  may  be  taught  :  One  is 
the  lecture  method,  by  which  the  instructor  gives  the  lesson  to  the  class  in 
the  form  of  a  lecture,  placing  the  outline  upon  the  blackboard  as  he  pro- 
ceeds, calling  upon  the  students  to  read  the  texts  cited,  and  frequently  re- 
viewing the  outline  in  a  concert-drill.  By  this  method  the  students  may 
or  may  not  have  the  books,  as  they  and  the  instructor  prefer.  While  it  is 
not  necessary  to  supply  the  class  with  the  text-book,  it  will  be  a  good  plan 
to  do  so. 

The  other  method,  siinpler  and  easier,  is  to  let  each  student  have  a  copy 
of  the  book,  to  expect  the  lesson  to  be  prepared  by  the  class,  and  to  have 
it  recited,  either  individually  or  in  concert.  Let  each  student  gain  all  the 
information  that  he  can  upon  the  subject  of  the  lesson  ;  let  each  contribute 
his  knowledge  ;  let  all  talk  freely,  and  all  will   be  the  gainers. 

It  would  l)e  a  good  plan  to  have  papers  read  from  time  to  time  upon 
topics  suggested  by  the  course  and  parallel  with  it.  A  list  of  subjects  for 
such  special  papers  is  given  at  the  close  of  each  study. 


THE  COURSE  DIVIDED  INTO  LESSONS. 


In  many  places  it  will  be  found  impracticable  to  give  an  entire  evening 
to  the  study  of  these  lessons.  They  may  be  taught  at  the  close  of  the 
prayer-meeting,  or  of  the  young  people's  meeting,  in  short  sections  ;  or  they 
may  occupy  a  part  of  the  hour  at  the  weekly  teachers'  meeting  for  the  study 
of  the  Sunda)*-school  lesson  ;  or  they  may  be  taught  to  the  Normal  class  in 
the  Sunday-school  at  the  lesson  hour.  In  the  latter  case,  the  regular  lesson 
should  receive  some  attention  ;  and  the  members  of  the  class  should  be  ex- 
pected to  prepare  it,  and  should  be  questioned  upon  it. 

Often  from  twenty  to  thirty  minutes  is  all  that  can  be  given  in  a  class  to 
studies  like  these.  We  have,  therefore,  divided  the  studies  into  short  sec- 
tions, each  of  which  may  be  taught  in  about  twenty  minutes,  if  properly 
prepared  by  both  teacher  and  students.  Thus  arranged,  the  course  will 
be  included  in  thirty-two  lessons,  as  follows  : 

Lesson  I. —  The  Beginnings  of  Bible  History.  The  deluge  and  the 
dispersion.     (First  Study,  I  and  IT.) 

Lesson  II. —  The  Beginnings  of  Bible  History.  Rise  of  the  empires, 
migration  of  Abraham,  and  journeys  of  the  patriarchs.  (First  Study,  III, 
IV,  and  V.) 

Lesson  III. —  The  Beginnings  of  Bible  History.  Sojourn  in  Egypt. 
(First  vStudy,  VI.)     Also  review  First  Study. 

Lesson  IV. —  The  IVanderitig  in  the  Wilderness.  Events  leading  to 
the  wandering  in  the  wilderness.     (Second  Study,  I  and  II.) 

Lesson  V. —  The  IVanderitig  in  the  Wilderness.  Journeys  of  the  wan- 
dering.    (Second  Study,  III.) 

Lesson  VI. —  The  Wandering  in  the  Wilderness.  Results  of  the 
wandering.     (Second  Study  TV.)     Also  review  Second  Study. 

Lesson  VII. —  The  Conquest  of  Canaan.  Canaanites  and  campaigns 
of  the  conquest.     (Third  Study,   I  and  II.) 

\^^%SOV\.'^\\\,  — The  Conquest  of  Canaan.  Aspect  of  Israel  after  con- 
quest.     (Third  .Study,  IV.)     Also  review  Third  Study. 

Lesson  IX. —  The  Age  of  the  Heroes.  Condition  of  Israel  and  the  judges 
of  Israel.     (Fourth  Study,  I  and  II.) 

Lesson  X. —  The  Age  of  the  Heroes.  The  oppressions  and  deliverers. 
(Fourth  Study,  III.) 

Lesson  XI. —  The  Age  of  the  Ideroes.  General  aspects  of  the  period, 
(Fourth  Study,  IV.)     Also  review  Fourth  Study. 


THE  COURSE  DIVIDED  INTO  LESSONS.  15 

Lesson  XII. —  The  Rise  of  Ihe  Israelite  Empire.     Causes  leading  to 
the  monarchy,  and  character  of  the  Israelite  kingdom.     (Fifth  Study,  I  and 

11) 

Lesson  XIII. —  The  Rise  of  the  Israelite  Empire.     The  reign  of  SauL 
(Fifth  Study,  III.) 

Lesson  XIV. —  The  Rise  of  the  Israelite  Empire.     The  reign  of  David. 
(Fifth  Study,  IV.)     Also  review  Fifth  Study. 

Lesson  XV. —  The  Golden   Age  of  Israel.     Reign  of  Solomon.     (Sixth 
Study,  I.) 

Lesson  XVI. —  The   Golden  Age  of  Israel.     General  aspects  of   Israel 
and  dangers  of  the  period.     (Sixth  .Study,  II  and  III.) 

Lesson  XVII. —  The  Empire  of  Israel.     Review   the    reigns   of  Saul, 
David,  and  Solomon.     (Fifth  Study,  III,  IV,  and  Sixth  Study,  I,  II,  III.) 

Lesson  XVIII. — Israel.     Causes   and   results  of  division.      (Seventh 
Study,  I  and  II.) 

Lesson  XIX. — Israel.     Kingdom  of  Israel.     (Seventh  Study,  III.) 

Lesson  XX. — Israel.     Fate  of  ten  tribes.     (Seventh  Study,  IV.)     Also 
review  Seventh  Study. 

Lesson  XXI. — Judah.     General  aspects  and  duration  of  the  kingdom. 
(Eighth  Study,  I  and  II.) 

Lesson  XXII. — Judah.     Periods  in   its  liistory.     (Eighth  Study,  III.) 
Also  review  Seventh  and  Eighth  Studies. 

Lesson  XXIII. —  The   Captivity  of  Judah.     Captivities  of  Judah  and 
Israel,  and  three  captivities  of  Judah.     (Ninth  Study,  I  and  II.) 

Lesson    XXIV. —  The    Captivity    of  Judah.       Causes    of    captivity. 
(Ninth  Study,  III.) 

Lesson  XXV. —  The  Captivity  of  Judah.     Condition  of  the  captives. 
(Ninth  Study,  IV.) 

Lesson  XXVI. —  The  Captivity  of  Judah.     Results   of  the    captivity. 
(Ninth  Study,  V.) 

Lesson  XXVII. —  The  Captivity  of  Judah,     Review  of  Ninth  Study. 

Lesson  XXVIII. —  The  Jewish  Province.     Persian.      (Tenth  Study, 
I.  IT.) 

Lesson  XXIX. —  The    Jeioish    Province.       Greek   periods.       (Tenth 
Study,    II.) 

Lesson  XXX, —  The  Jewish  Province.  Maccabean  and  Roman  periods. 
(Tenth  Study,   III,  IV.) 

Lesson  XXXI. —  The  Jewish  Province.     Preparation  for  the  temple 
(Tenth  Study,  V.) 

Lesson  XXXII. — Review  of  Tenlli  Study, 


Copyrit;b.t,  1880,  t>y 
GEO.  MAY  POWELL. 


Studies  in  OldTestament  History 


KiRSX  Study. 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  BIBLE  HISTORY. 

It  is  our  purpose  in  this  series  of  studies  to  -trace  the 
progress  of  events  as  related  in  the  Bible  from  the  dawn  of 
history  down  to  the  opening  of  the  New  Testament  era.  The 
aim  will  be  not  to  give  a  mere  catalogue  of  facts,  but  rather 
to  show  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect,  and  to  unfold  the 
development  of  the  divine  purpose  which  extends  through  all 
the  history  in  the  Bible.  We  recommend  the  student,  first  of 
all,  to  read  the  preface  to  this  book. 

Turning  back  to  the  beginnings  of  Bible  history  we  no- 
tice six  events  between  the  Deluge  and  the  Exodus.  We 
begin  with  the  Deluge  as  the  starting-point  of  history.  Back 
of  that  event  is  a  land  of  shadows.  We  have  so  little  knowl- 
edge of  the  world  before  the  flood  that  its  history  cannot  be 
written.  But  since  that  fact  we  tread  upon  firm  ground,  hav- 
ing both  the  Bible  and  secular  history  to  confirm  each  other. 

I.   THE  DELUGE.     With  regard  to  this  event  we  note  : 

I.  The  fact  of  a  general  deluge  is  stated  in  Scripture  (Gen. 
7.),  and  attested  by  the  traditions  of  nearly  all  nations. 
Compare  the  story  of  Xisuthros  in  Berosus  ;  the  record  in  the 
Chaldean  tablets  ;  the  Greek  myth  of  Deucalion  ;  the  Mex- 
ican tradition  ;  and  the  legends  of  the  North  American  In- 
dians.* 

*  See  Geikie's  Hours  with  the  Bible,  vol.  i,  chap,  xiii ;  Bible  Commentary-,  note  at 
the  end  of  Gen.  8. 


1 8        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

2.  The  date  is  given  in  reference  Bibles  (following  Arch- 
bishop Usslier)  as  B.  C.  2348.  This  is  probably  incorrect.  It 
may  have  been  a  thousand  years  earlier.  But  as  archaeologists 
are  not  yet  agreed,  we  give  Ussher's  chronology,  here  and 
elsewhere,  merely  as  a  convenience  in  the  arrangement,  not 
as  accurate. 

3.  Its  cause  was  the  wickedness  of  the  human  race  (Gen. 
6.  5-7).  Before  this  event  all  the  population  of  the  world 
was  massed  together,  forming  one  vast  family  and  speaking 
one  language.  Under  these  conditions  the  good  were  over- 
borne by  evil  surroundings,  and  general  corruption  followed. 

4.  Its  extent  was  undoubtedly  not  the  entire  globe,  but  so 
much  of  it  as  was  occupied  by  the  human  race  (Gen.  7.  23), 
probably  the  Euphrates  valley.  Many  Christian  scholars, 
however,  hold  to  the  view  that  the  Book  of  Genesis  relates 
the  history  of  but  one  family  of  races,  and  not  all  the  race; 
consequently,  that  the  flood  may  have  been  partial,  as  far  as 
mankind  is  concerned. 

5.  Its  purpose  was:  i.)  To  destroy  the  evil  in  the  world. 
2.)  To  open  a  new  epoch  under  better  conditions  for  social, 
national,  and  individual  life. 

II.  THE  DISPERSION  OF  THE  RACES.  (B.C. 
2247  ?)  I.  Very  soon  after  the  deluge  a  new  instinct,  that 
of  migration,  took  possession  of  the  human  family.  Hitherto 
all  mankind  had  lived  together;  from  this  time  they  began  to 
scatter.  As  a  result  came  tribes,  nations,  languages,  and  va- 
rieties of  civilization.  "  The  confusion  of  tongues  "  was  not 
the  cause,  but  the  result  of  this  spirit,  and  was  not  sudden, 
but  gradual  (Gen.  11.  2,  7). 

2.  Evidences  ofthis  migration  are  given:  i.)  In  the  Bible 
(Gen.  9.  19;  II.  8).  2.)  The  records  and  traditions  of  nearly  all 
nations  point  to  it.  3.)  Language  gives  a  certain  proof  ;  for 
example,  showing  that  the  ancestors  of  the  English,  Greeks, 
Romans,  Medes,  and  Hindus — races  now  widely  dispersed — 
once  slept  under  the  same  roof.     At  an  early  period  streams 


20        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

of  migration  poured  forth  from  the  highlands  of  Asia  in  every 
direction  and  to  great  distances. 

III.  THE  RISE  OF  THE  EMPIRES.  In  the  Bible 
world  three  centers  of  national  life  arose,  not  far  apart  in 
time,  each  of  which  became  a  powerful  kingdom,  and  in  turn 
ruled  all  the  Oriental  lands.  The  strifes  of  these  three  na- 
tions, their  rise  and  fall,  constitute  the  matter  of  ancient 
Oriental  history,  which  is  closely  connected  with  that  of  the 
Bible.  These  three  centers  were  Egypt  (called  in  the  Bible 
Mizraim,  Gen.  lo.  6,  13),  of  which  the  capital  was  Memphis  ; 
Chaldea,  of  which  the  capital  was  Babel  or  Babylon  (Gen.  10. 
10  ;  II.  2-9)  ;  and  Assyria,  of  which  the  capital  was  Nineveh 
(Gen.  10.  11).  We  might  add  to  these  the  Canaanite  or 
Phenician  city  of  Sidon  (Gen.  10.  15,  19),  and  its  daughter 
Tyre,  the  great  commercial  centers  of  the  ancient  world,  whose 
empire  was  not  the  land,  but  the  sea.  Note  that  all  of  these 
early  kingdoms  were  established  by  the  Haniitic  race. 

IV.  THE  MIGRATION  OF  ABRAHAM.  (B.C. 
192 1  .'')  No  other  journey  in  history  has  the  importance  of 
that  transfer  of  the  little  clan  of  Abraham  from  the  plain  of 
Shinar  to  the  mountains  of  Palestine  in  view  of  its  results  to 
the  world.  Compare  with  it  the  voyage  of  the  Mayflcnver. 
Its  causes  were  :  i.  Probably  the  migratory  instinct  of  the 
age,  for  it  was  the  epoch  of  tribal  movements.  2.  The  polit- 
ical cause  may  have  been  the  desire  for  liberty  from  the  rule 
of  the  Accadian  dynasty  that  had  become  dominant  in  Chal- 
dea. 3.  But  the  deepest  motive  was  religious,  a  purpose  to 
escape  from  the  idolatrous  influences  of  Chaldea,  and  to  find 
a  home  for  the  worship  of  God  in  what  was  then  "  the  new 
West,"  where  population  was  thin.  It  was  by  the  call  of  God 
that  Abraham  set  forth  on  his  journey  (Gen.  12.  1-3). 

V.  THE  JOURNEYS  OF  THE  PATRIARCHS. 
(B.C.  1921-1706?)  For  two  centuries  the  little  clan  of 
Abraham's  family  lived  in  Palestine  as  strangers,  pitching 
their  tents  in  various  localities,  wherever  pasturage  was  abun- 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        i\ 


dant,  for  at  this  time  they  were  shepherds  and  herdsmen  (Gen. 
13.  2  ;  46.  34).     Their  home  was  generally  in  the  southern 


part  of  the  country,  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  their  relations 
with  the  Amorites,  Canaanites,  and  Philistines  on  the  soil  were 
generally  friendly  (Gen.  20.  14;  id.  26-31). 


22        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

VI.  THE  SOJOURN  IN  EGYPT.  (B.  C.  1706- 
1491  ?)  After  three  generations  the  branch  of  Abraham's 
family  belonging  to  his  grandson  Jacob  or  Israel  removed  to 

Egypt  (Deut.  26.  5),  where  they 
remained  either  two  hundred  or 
four  hundred  years,  according  to 
different  opinions.*  This  stay  in 
Egypt  is  always  called  "  the  so- 
journ." The  event  which  led  di- 
rectly to  the  descent  into  Egypt  was  the  selling  of  Joseph 
(Gen.  37.  28).  But  we  can  trace  a  providential  purpose  in 
the  transfer.     Its  objects  were  : 

1.  Preservation.  The  frequent  famines  in  Palestine 
(Gen.  12.  10;  26.  I  ;  42.  1-3)  showed  that  as  shepherds  the 
Israelites  could  not  be  supported  in  the  land.  On  the  fertile 
soil  of  Egypt,  with  three  crops  each  year,  they  would  find  food 
in  abundance. 

2.  Growth.  At  the  end  of  the  stay  in  Canaan  the  Israel- 
ites counted  only  seventy  souls  (Gen.  46.  27)  ;  but  at  the 
close  of  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  they  had  increased  to  nearly 
two  millions  (Exod.  12.  37;  Num.  i.  45,  46).  The  hot 
climate  and  cheap  food  of  Egypt  has  always  caused  an  abun- 
dant population.  In  Egypt  Israel  grew  from  a  family  to  a 
nation. 

3.  Isolation.  There  was  great  danger  to  the  morals  and 
religion  of  the  Israelites  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  Abraham 
had  sent  to   his  own  relatives  at    Haran   for  a  wife  for   Isaac 


*  From  the  fact  that  in  several  genealogies  four  generations  are  given  to  the  sojourn  in 
Egypt,  the  shorter  period,  from  1706  to  1491,  has  been  generally  assumed.  But  it  is  almost 
impossible  that  seventy  people  could  become  two  million  in  four  generations  by  natural 
increase  alone.  Moreover,  the  genealogy  of  Joshua  (i  Chron.  7.  22-27)  gives  either  ten 
or  eleven  generations  to  this  period.  It  is  probable  that  the  other  tables  name  only  suf- 
ficient links  to  show  the  line,  and  omit  many  of  the  generations.  This  was  frequently 
the  case  with  Jewish  records.  (See  the  genealogy  of  Jesus  Christ  in  Matt,  i,  where 
several  names  are  omitted.)  We  conclude  that  the  sojourn  began  about  1900  B.  C,  and 
the  call  of  Abraham  was  about  2100  B.  C,  or  e  .rlier  ;  but  we  give  in  the  text  the  usual 
chronology. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         23 

(Gen.  24.  3,  4)  in  order  to  keep  both  the  race  and  the  faith 
pure.  One  of  Isaac's  sons  married  Canaanite  wives,  and  as 
a  result  his  descendants,  the  Edomites,  lost  the  faith  and  be- 
came idolaters  (Gen.  26.  34,  35).  Jacob  sought  his  wives 
among  his  own  relatives  (Gen.  28.  i,  2).  We  note  a  danger- 
ous tendency  in  J_acob-s  family  to  ally  themselves  with  the 
Canaanites  (Gen.  34.  8-10;  t^'&.  i,  2).  If  they  had  stayed  in 
Canaan  the  chosen  family  would  have  become  lost  among  the 
heathen.  But  in  Egypt  they  lived  apart,  and  were  kept  by 
the  caste  system  from  union  with  the  people  (Gen.  46.  34  ; 
43.  32).  It  was  a  necessary  element  in  the  divine  plan  that 
Israel  should  dwell  apart  from  other  nations  (Num.  23.  9). 

4.  Civilization.  The  Egyptians  were  far  in  advance  of 
all  other  nations  of  that  age  in  intelligence,  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  society,  and  in  government.  Though  the  Israelites 
lived  apart  from  them,  they  were  among  them,  and  learned 
much  of  their  knowledge.  Whatever  may  have  been  their 
condition  at  the  beginning  of  the  sojourn,  at  the  end  of  it 
they  had  a  written  language  (Exod.  24.  7),  a  system  of  worship 
(Exod.  19.  22  ;  2)Z-  7)>  ^^^  ^  leader  who  had  received  the 
highest  culture  of  his  age  (Acts  7.  22).  As  one  result  of  the 
sojourn  the  Israelites  were  transformed  from  sliepherds  and 
herdsmen  to  tillers  of  the  soil — a  higher  manner  of  living. 

Blackboard  Outline. 


Six    Ev.       I.   Del.       i.  Fac.  Scrip.  Tiad.       2.  Dat.  2348  ?     3. 
('au.  Wick.  rac.      4.   Ext.  par.      5.  Pur.       I.)  Des.  cv.      2.) 
New  ep. 
II.   Disp.  Rac.      I.  Insf.  m\<^.     2.  Evid.     Bib.     Trad.     Lang. 

III.  Rise  Emp.      i.  Eg.      2.  Clial.      3.  Ass.     4.  Sid.  and  Tyr. 

IV.  Mig.  Abr.     Causes,      i.   Mig.  inst.     2.   I'ol.  can.     3.  Rel. 

niitt. 
V.  Jour.  Patr.      Str.  in  Pal.     Shep.     Ilom.     Relat. 
VI,  Soj.  in  Eg.     Obj.     I.  Pre-s.     2.  Gro.     3.   Isol.     4.  Civ. 


:4        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW. 

What  is  the  purpose  in  this  series  of  studies  ? 

At  what  point  does  histoiy  begin  ? 

Name  the  six  great  events  in  early  Bible  history. 

How  is  the  fact  of  a  deluge  attested  ? 

What  date  is  commonly  given  to  this  event  ? 

What  was  the  moral  cause  of  the  flood  ? 

What  was  its  extent  ? 

What  was  its  purpose  in  the  plan  of  God  ? 

What  new  spirit  took  possession  of  men  soon  after  the  flood  ? 

To  what  results  did  this  lead  ? 

What  was  the  relation  of  this  fact  to  the  confusion  of  tongues? 

What  evidences  of  these  migrations  are  found  ? 

What  were  the  three  great  centers  of  national  life  in  the  Oriental  world? 

What  city  became  the  center  of  commercial  life  ? 

To  what  race  did  the  earliest  empires  belong? 

What  was  the  most  important  journey,  in  its  results,  in  all  history  ? 

What  three  causes  are  given  for  this  migration  ? 

What  was  especially  the  religious  motive  of  this  journey? 

How  long  did  Abraham's  descendants  remain  in  Palestine? 

In  what  part  of  the  country  did  they  live  ? 

What  were  their  relations  with  the  native  peoples  in  Palestine? 

What  is  meant  by  "  the  sojourn  ?  " 

What  was  its  immediate  cause  ? 

What  four  providential  results  came  to  Israel  through  this  sojourn? 

How  long  was  the  time  of  the  sojourn  ? 

How  were  the  Israelites  protected  from  corruption  through  this  sojourn  ? 

What  was  the  effect  of  the  sojourn  upon  their  civilization? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

The  Pyramids.  Traditions  of  the  Deluge. 

The  City  of  Babylon.  The  Character  of  Abraham. 

The  Great  Races.  Egypt  in  the  Time  of  Joseph. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        25 

SECOND    Study. 

THE  WANDERING  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 

I.  Let  us  notice  briefly  the  EVENTS  LEADING  TO 
THE  WANDERING. 

1.  The  Oppression  of  the  Israelites.  (B.  C.  1635.) 
(Exod.  I.  8-13.)  This  was  an  important  link  in  the  chain 
of  events.  If  tlie  Israelites  had  been  prosperous  and  happy 
in  Egypt  they  would  have  remained  there,  and  the  destiny 
of  the  chosen  people  would  have  been  forgotten.  Therefore, 
when  Egypt  had  given  to  Israel  all  that  it  could,  the  wrath 
of  man  was  made  to  praise  God  ;  and  by  suffering  the  Israel- 
ites were  made  willing  to  leave  the  land  of  their  sojourn  and 
seek  the  land  of  promise.  The  nest  was  stirred  up,  and  the 
young  eaglet  was  compelled  to  fly  (Deut.  32.  11,  12). 

2.  The  Training  of  Moses.  (Born  B.  C.  1571.)  There 
was  another  element  of  preparation.  No  common  man  could 
have  wrought  the  great  work  of  liberation,  of  legislation,  and 
of  training  which  Isiael  needed.  Notice,  i.)  Moses  was  an 
Israelite  in  birth,  of  the  consecrated  tribe  of  Levi  (Exod.  2. 
I,  2).  2.)  But  he  was  educated  in  the  pa/ace,  and  in  the 
highest  culture,  as  a  prince  in  Egypt  (Exod.  2.  10).  If  he 
had  been  doomed  to  a  slave's  life  he  could  never  have  ac- 
complished his  mission.  3.)  At  full  age  Moses  made  choice 
of  his  people,  because  they  were  the  people  of  God  (Heb.  11. 
24-26).  4.)  Then  came  the  training  of  forty  years  in  the 
desert,  giving  him  knowledge  of  the  land,  experience  of  hard- 
ships, and  maturity  of  thought.  5.)  Lastly,  there  was  the  call 
of  God  (Exod.  3.  2),  with  its  revelation  of  God's  name  and 
power,  imparting  strength  for  his  work. 

3.  The  Ten  Plagues.  There  was  a  special  significance 
in  these  plagues,  for  each  was  a  blow  at  some  form  of  idol- 
worship  among  the  Egyptians.  They  were:  i.)  The  river 
turned  to   blood  (Exod.  7.  20,  21).     2.)  Frogs  (Exod.  8.  6). 


26        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 


3.)  Lice  (Exod.  8.  17).  4.)  Flies,  probably  including  beetles 
and  other  winged  pests  (Exod.  8.  24).  5.)  Murrain,  or  pes- 
tilence among  domestic  animals  (Exod.  9.  3,  4).  6.)  Boils 
(Exod.  9.  10).  7.)  Hail  (Exod.  9.  23).  8.)  Locusts  (Exod. 
10.  14,  15).  9.)  Darkness  (Exod.  10.  22,  23).  10.)  Death 
of  the   first-born  (Exod.  12.  29). 

4.  The  Passover.  (Exod.  12.  21-28.)  This  service 
represented  three  ideas,  i.)  It  was  the  spring-tide  festival. 
2.)  It  commemorated  the  sudden  departure  from  Egypt,  when 


"1       ^    jeMcl'O- 


M  E   D    I    TERRA    KEAN 


JOURNEYS 

OF  THE 


f<?^w^  ISRAELITES 


there  was  not  even  time  to  "  raise  the  bread  "  before  leaving 
(Exod.  12.  34-39).  3.)  It  was  an  impressive  prophecy  of 
Christ,  the  slain  Lamb  of  God  (Exod.  12.  21,  22). 

5.  The  Exodus.  (B.C.  1491.)  (Exod.  12.  40,  41.)  The 
word  means  "  going  out."  This  was  the  birthday  of  a  nation^ 
the  hour  when  the  Israelites  rose  from  being  merely  a  mass 
of  men  to  become  a  people. 

II.  THE  WILDERNESS  OF  THE  WANDER- 
ING. Let  the  student  note  carefully  upon  a  good  map  the 
following  locations,  and  then  draw  a  map  containing  them  : 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        27 

1.  Draw  the  coast-lines  and  note  three  Seas.  i.)  The 
"great  sea,"  or  Mediterranean  (Josh,  i.  4).  2.)  The  Red  Sea 
(P2xod.  13.  icS),  (Gulfs  of  Suez  and  Akaba).     3.)  The  Dead  Sea. 

2.  Draw  the  mountain  ranges,  and  note  five  Deserts. 
I.)  The  Desert  of  Shur  (Exod.  15.  22),  between  Goshen  and 
Canaan.  2.)  T\\q.  Desert  of  Pa  ran,  m  the  center  of  the  Si- 
naitic  triangle  (Num.  10.  12).  This  is  the  wilderness  in  which 
Ihirty-eight  of  the  forty  years  were  passed  (Deut.  i.  19).  3.) 
The  Desert  of  E'ham  (Num.  2,2)-  8)?  on  the  shore  of  the  Gulf  of 
Suez.  4.)  The  Z)t'jYv7  ^y"6V;/,  near  Mount  Sinai  (Exod.  16.  i). 
5.)  The  Desert  of  Zin,  the  desolate  valley  between  the  Gulf  of 
Akaba  and  the  Dead  Sea,  now  called  the  Arabah  (Num.  it,.  21!). 

3.  Locate  also  the  five  Lands  of  this  region,  i.)  Goshen, 
the  land  of  the  sojourn  (Exod.  9.  26).  2.)  Midian,  the  land 
of  Moses's  sliepherd  life  (Exod.  2.  15),  on  both  sides  of  the 
Gulf  of  Akaba.  3.)  Edoni,  the  land  of  Esau's  descendants, 
south  of  the  Dead  Sea  (Num.  21.  4).  4.)  Afoab,  the  land  of 
Lot's  descendants,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  (Num.  21.  13). 
5.)   Canaan,  the  land  of  promise  (Gen.  12.  7). 

4.  Fix  also  the  location  of  three  Mountains,  i.)  Mount 
Sinai,  where  the  law  was  giv.^n  (Exod.  19.  20).  2.)  Mount 
Hor,  where  Aaron  died  (Num.  20.  23-2S).  3.)  Mount  Nebo 
(Pisgah),  where  Moses  died  (Deut.  34.  1). 

5.  Notice  also  seven  Places,  some  of  which  are  clearly, 
others  not  so  definitely,  identified,  i.)  Rameses,  the  starting- 
point  of  the  Israelites  (Exod.  12.  37).  2.)  Baal-zephon,  the 
place  of  crossing  the  Red  Sea  (Exod.  14.  2).  3.)  J/rfr«//,  where 
the  bitter  waters  were  sweetened  (Exod.  15.  22-25).  4.)  Elivi, 
the  place  of  rest  (Exod.  15.  27).  5.)  Rephidim,  the  place  of 
the  first  battle,  near  Mount  Sinai  (Exod.  17.  8-16).  6.)  Ka- 
desh-barnea,*  whence  the  spies  were  sent  forth  (Num.  13.  26). 


*  The  location  of  Kadesh-barnea  is  one  of  the  great  questions  of  Bible  geography. 
Robinson  places  it  at  ^ A  in  ei-ll'eibe/i,  north-west  of  Petra.  Rowlands,  and  lately  Trum- 
bull, locates  it  at  A  in  Gadis,  forty-five  miles  south  of  Keersheba.  1  think  tliat  the  latter 
is  the  true  place,  though  the  authorities  are  not  agreed. 


28 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


!=•  S/,rinp 


7.)  Jahaz,  in  the  land  of  Moab,  south  of  the  brook  Arnon, 
the  place  of  a  victory  over  the  Amorites  (Num.  21.  23,  24). 

III.  THE  JOURNEYS  OF  THE  WANDER- 
ING. These,  with  the  EVENTS  connected  with  them, 
may  be  arranged  in  order  as  follows  : 

I.  From    Rameses  to  the   Red  Sea  (Exod.  12.  37;  14.  9). 

With  this  note:  i.) 
The  crossing  of  the 
Red  Sea. 

2.  From  the  Red 
Sea  to  Mount  Sinai. 
Events:  2.)  The 
Waters  of  Mar  ah. 
3.)  The  repulse  of  the 
Atnalekites.  4.)  The 
giving  of  the  law.  5.) 

The  worship  of  the 
golden  calf.  At 
Mount  Sinai  the 
camp  was  kept  for 
nearly  a  year,  and 
the  organization  of 
the  people  was  ef- 
fected. 

3.  From  Mount 
Sinai  to  Kadesh-bar- 
nea  (B.  C.  1490).  At 
the  latter  place  oc. 

curred,  6.)  The  sending  out  of  the  spies  {'^mvc\.  13.  1-26).  7.)  The 
defeat  at  Hormah  (Num.  14.  40-45).  It  was  the  purpose  of 
Moses  to  lead  the  people  at  once  from  Kadesh  up  to  Canaan. 
But  their  fear  of  the  Canaanite  and  Amorite  inhabitants  made 
them  weak ;  they  were  defeated  and  driven  back  into  the 
desert  of  Paran,  where  they  wandered  thirty-eight  years,  until 
the  generation   of  slavish   souls  should  die   off,   and    a  new 


EXPLANATION 

Jebel.  Mount 
Wady-Valley 


mmi 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        29 

Israel,  the  young  people,  trained  in   the  spirit  of  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  fitted  for  conquest,  should  arise  in  their  places. 

4.  From  Kadesh-barnea  through  the  desert  of  Paran  and 
return.  This  was  the  long  wandering  of  thirty-eight  years. 
We  trace  the  route  from  Kadesh,  around  the  desert  of  Paran, 
to  Mount  Hor,  to  Ezion-geber  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of 
Akaba,  and  at  last  to  Kadesh  once  more  (Num.20,  i).  There 
occurred,  8.)  The  water  from  the  rock  at  Kadesh.,  and  Moses's 
disobedience  (Num.  20.  10-12).  9.)  The  repulse  of  Arad 
(Num.  21.  i).  It  would  seem  that  the  Israelites  made  a 
second  attempt  to  enter  Canaan  on  the  south,  and  were  again 
defeated,  though  not  so  severely  as  before. 

5.  From  Kadesh-barnea  around  Edom  to  the  river  Jordan. 
After  this  second  defeat  Moses  desired  to  lead  the  people 
through  the  land  of  the  Edomites,  and  to  enter  Canaan  by 
crossing  the  Jordan  (Num.  20.  14).  But  the  Edomites  re- 
fused to  permit  such  an  army  to  pass  through  their  land 
(Num.  20.  18-21).  Hence  the  Israelites  were  compelled  to  go 
down  the  desert  of  Zin,  past  Edom,  as  far  as  the  Red  Sea,  then 
east  of  Edom,  a  very  long  and  toilsome  journey  (Num.  21.  4). 
Note  with  this  journey:  10.)  The  brazen  serpent  {Num.  21.  6-9; 
John  3.  14,  15).  II.)  The  victory  over  the  Atnorites  (Num.  21. 
23,  24).  This  victory  gave  to  the  Israelites  control  of  the 
country  from  Arnon  to  Jabbok,  and  was  the  first  campaign 
of  the  conquest.  The  long  journey  was  now  ended  in  the  en- 
campment of  the  Israelites  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Nebo,  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Jordan,  near  the  head  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
12.)  The  last  event  of  the  period  was  the  death  of  Moses 
(Deut.  34.  5-8)  (B.  C.   145  0- 

IV.  THE  RESULTS  OF  THE  WANDERING. 
These  forty  years  of  wilderness  life  made  a  deep  impress 
upon  the  Israelite  people,  and  wrought  great  changes  in  their 
character. 

I.  It  gave  them  certain  Institutions.  From  the  wilder- 
ness they  brought  their  tabernacle  and  all  its  rites  and  serv- 


30         STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

ices,  out  of  which  grew  the  magnificent  ritual  of  the  temple. 
The  Feast  of  Passover  commemorated  the  Exodus,  the  Feast 
of  Pentecost,  the  giving  of  the  law  ;  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
(during  which  for  a  week  the  people  lived  in  huts  and  booths), 
the  outdoor  life  in  the  desert. 

2.  Another  result  was  National  Unity.  When  the  Israel- 
ites left  Egypt  they  were  twelve  unorganized  tribes,  without 
a  distinct  national  life.  Forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  meet- 
ing adversities  together,  fighting  enemies,  marching  as  one 
host,  made  them  a  nation.  They  emerged  from  the  wilder- 
ness a  distinct  people,  with  one  hope  and  aim,  with  patriotic 
self-respect,  ready  to  take  their  place  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth. 

3.  Individual  Liberty.  They  had  just  been  set  free  from 
the  tyranny  of  the  most  complete  governmental  machine  on 
the  face  of  the  earth.  In  Egypt  the  man  was  nothing,  the 
state  was  every  thing.  The  Israelite  system  was  an  absolute 
contrast  to  the  Egyptian.  For  four  centuries  after  the  Ex- 
odus the  Israelites  lived  with  almost  no  government,  each 
man  doing  what  was  right  in  his  own  eyes.  They  were  the 
freest  people  on  earth,  far  more  so  than  the  Greeks  or  the 
Romans  during  their  republican  epochs.  Moses  trained  them 
not  to  look  to  the  government  for  their  care,  but  to  be  a  self- 
reliant  peoi)le,  able  to  take  care  of  themselves.  If  they  had 
passed  this  initial  stage  of  their  history  surrounded  by  king- 
doms they  would  have  become  a  kingdom.  But  they  learned 
their  first  lessons  of  national  life  in  the  Avilderness,  untram- 
meled  by  environment  and  under  a  wise  leader,  who  sought 
to  train  up  a  nation  of  kings  instead  of  a  kingdom. 

4.  Military  Training-.  We  trace  in  the  history  of  those 
forty  years  a  great  advance  in  military  discipline.  After 
crossing  the  Red  Sea  Moses  did  not  care  to  lead  them  by  the 
direct  route  to  Canaan,  lest  they  should  "  see  war  "  (Exod. 
13.  17,  18).  Attacked  by  the  Amalekites  soon  after  the  Ex- 
odus, the   Israelites  were   almost  helpless  (Exod,   17.  8-16; 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         31 

Deut.  25.  17-19).  A  year  later  they  were  the  easy  prey  of 
the  Canaanites  at  Hormah  (Num.  14.  40-45).  Forty  years 
after  they  crossed  the  Jordan  and  entered  Canaan,  a  drilled 
and  trained  host,  a  conquering  army.  This  discipline  and 
spirit  of  conquest  they  gained  under  Moses  and  Joshua  in  the 
wilderness. 

5.  Religious  Education.  This  was  the  greatest  of  all 
the  benefits  gained  in  the  wilderness.  They  were  brought 
back  from  the  idolatries  of  Egypt  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers. 
They  received  God's  law,  the  system  of  worship,  and, the  rit- 
ual which  brought  them  by  its  services  into  a  knowledge  of 
God.  Moreover,  their  experience  of  God's  care  taught  them 
to  trust  in  Jehovah,  who  had  chosen  them  for  his  own  people. 
Even  though  the  mass  of  the  people  might  worship  idols, 
there  was  always  from  this  time  an  Israel  of  the  heart  that 
sought  and  obeyed  God. 


32        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 


Blackboard  Outline. 


I.  Eve.  le.  Wan.     i.  Opp.  Isr. 

2.  Tra.  Mos.     i.)  Bir.     2.)  Edu.     3.)  Cho.     4.)  Tra.     5.)  Cal. 

3.  Ten  Pla.     i.)  Bl.     2.)  Fr.     3.)  Li.     4.)  Fl.    5.)  Mur.    6.)  Boi. 
7.)  Hai.      8.)  Loc.     9.)  Dar.      10.)  Dea.  fir.  bo. 

4.  Pass. 

5.  Exod. 

II.  Wil.  Wan.     I.  Seas,     i.)  M.  S.     2.)  R.  S.  [G.  S.,  G.  A.] 
3.)  D.  S. 

2.  Des.     I.)  D.  Sh.    2.)D.  Par.    3.)  D.  Eth.  4.)  D.  Si.    5.)D.Zi. 

3.  Lan.     I.)  Gos.     2.)  Mid.     3.)  Ed.     4.)  Mo.     5.)  Can. 

4.  Mts.   I.)  Mt.  Sin.     2.)  Mt.  H.     3.)  Mt.  Neb. 

5.  Pla.     I.)  Ram.     2.)  B.-zep.      3.)  Mar.     4.)  El.     5.)  Rep.     6.) 
Kad.-bar.     7.)  Jah. 

III.  Jour,  and  Even.  Jour.  i.  Ram. — R.  S.,  Ev.    i.)Cr.R.S. 
Jour.  2.   R.  S. — Mt.  Sin.     2.)  Wat.  Mar.    3.)  Rep.  Am.    4.)Giv. 

L.     5.)  Wor.  gol.  cal. 
Jour.  3.    Mt.  Sin. — Kad.-bar.     6.)  Sen.  Sp.      7.)  Def.  Hor. 
Jour.  4.    Kad.-bar. — Des.  Par. — Ret.     8.)  Wat.  roc.  Kad.       9.) 

Rep.  Ar. 
Jour.  5.   Kad.-bar. — Ed. — Riv.  Jor.       10.)   Bra.  Ser.       11.)  Vic. 

ov.  Amo.      12.)  Dea.  Mos. 

IV.  Res.  Wan,      i.  Ins.      2.   Nat.   Un.      3.    Ind.    Lib.      4. 
Mil.  Tra.     5.   Rel.  Ed. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW. 

Name  five  events  which  were  preparatory  to  the  wandering. 

What  made  the  Israelites  willing  to  leave  Egypt  ? 

How  was  their  leader  trained  for  his  mission  ? 

What  were  the  ten  plagues  upon  the  Egyptians  ? 

What  three  ideas  were  connected  with  the  Passover  ? 

What  is  meant  by  the  Exodus  ? 

What  are  the  three  seas  of  the  map  illustrating  the  wandering? 

Name  five  deserts  of  this  region. 

In  which  desert  were  the  most  years  passed  ? 

What  were  the  two  deserts  on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea? 

Where  was  the  desert  of  Zin  ? 

Which  desert  was  between  Egypt  and  Palestine  ? 

Name  and  locate  five  lands  of  this  region, 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORV .        33 

Which  land  was  nearest  to  Egypt  ? 
Which  land  was  on  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Red  Sea? 
Wliich  land  lay  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  ? 
Which  land  was  south  of  the  Dead  Sea? 
Name  three  mountains  in  this  region. 
What  event  took  place  on  each  of  these  mountains  ? 
Name  two  places  between  Egypt  and  the  Red  Sea. 

Name  three  places  on  the  route  between  the  Red  Sea,  and  an  event  at 
eacli  place. 

What  place  was  south  of  Canaan  and  near  it  ? 

What  events  occurred  at  this  place  ? 

What  two  places  were  battlefields  ? 

State  the  route  of  the  first  journey. 

What  was  the  great  event  of  this  journey  ? 

What  was  the  second  journey  ? 

What  four  events  are  named  witli  this  journey  ? 

What  was  the  third  journey  ? 

What  two  events  took  place  with  this  journey  ? 

What  was  the  longest  journey  ? 

Name  four  places  of  this  journey. 

Name  two  events  near  its  close. 

What  was  the  last  journey  ? 

What  events  took  place  at  this  time? 

Where  was  the  last  encampment  of  the  Israelites? 

What  institutions  originated  during  this  period  ? 

What  was  the  political  effect  of  this  epoch  upon  the  people? 

How  did  it  give  them  liberty? 

What  was  the  influence  in  military  affairs? 

What  were  its  results  upon  the  religion  of  the  people? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

The  Pharaoh  of  the  Oitression. 
Mount  Sinai. 
The  Greatness  of  Moses. 
The  Mosaic  Legislation. 
The  Site  of  Kadesh-karnea. 
The  Tabernacle  in  the  Wilderness. 
2* 


34      studies  in  oid  testament  history. 
Third    Study. 

THE    CONQUEST    OF    CANAAN. 

I.  Let  us  notice  the  CANAANITES  before  the  con- 
quest. 

1.  They  were  a  varied  people.  There  were  from  seven 
to  ten  different  nations  in  Palestine  when  the  Israelites  en- 
tered it  (Exod.  3.  17  ;  Deut.  7.  i).  Each  tribe,  often  each 
city,  had  its  own  government.  There  was  no  unity  of  gov- 
ernment, no  combined  action  to  resist  the  invasion  of  Israel. 
This  made  the  conquest  easy.  If  one  king  had  ruled  a  united 
people  the  result  might  have  been  different. 

2.  These  peoples  were,  however,  of  one  Stock,  They 
belonged  to  the  Hamite  race,  and  were  all  descended  from 
the  family  of  Canaan  (Gen.  10.  15-19).  There  was  no  rea- 
son, except  the  tribal  spirit,  for  their  separation  into  small 
clans  and  nationalities. 

3.  They  were  idolatrous  and,  as  a  result,  grossly  immoral. 
Idolatry  is  always  associated  with  immorality ;  for  the  wor- 
ship of  idols  is  a  deification  of  sensuality.  Baal  and  Asherah 
(plural  Ashtoreth)  were  the  male  and  female  divinities  wor- 
shiped by  most  of  these  races  (Judg.  2.  13). 

4.  They  had  been  weakened  before  the  coming  of  the 
Israelites  either  by  war  or  by  pestilence.  The  allusions  in 
Exod.  23.  28;  Deut.  7.  20  ;  and  Josh.  7.  12,  have  been  referred 
to  an  invasion  before  that  of  Israel,  or  to  some  plague,  which 
destroyed  the  native  races. 

II.  THE  CAMPAIGNS  OF  THE  CONQUEST. 
These  may  be  divided  as  follows  : 

I.  The  campaigns  east  of  the  Jordan.  (B.  C.  145 1.) 
These  were  during  the  life-time  of  Moses,  and  gained  for 
Israel  all  the  territory  between  the  brook  Arnon  and  Mount 
Hermon. 

I.)   The   conquest    of   Gilead   was    made  at   the   battle   of 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


Jahaz,  near  the  brook  Arnon  (Num.  21.  21-31).  In  one 
battle  the  Israelites  gained  the  land  of  Gilead  from  the 
Arnon  to  the  Hieromax. 

2.)   The  conquest  of  Bashan  was  completed  at  the  battle  of 
Edrei,  in  the  mount- 
ainous region. 

3.)  The  conquest 
of  Midian  (Num.  31. 
1-8)  was  led  by  the 
warrior-priest  Phin- 
ehas,  and  by  smiting 
the  tribes  on  the  east 
protected  the  fron- 
tier toward  the  des- 
ert. The  land  won 
by  these  three  cam- 
paigns became  the 
territory  of  the  tribes 
of  Reuben,  Gad,  and 
the  half-tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh  (Deut.  32). 

2.  The  cam- 
paigns west  of 
the  Jordan  (B.  C. 
1 451)  were  led  by 
Joshua,  and  showed 
great  tactical  skill 
and  resistless  energy 
of  action,  Joshua 
led  his  people  across 
the  Jordan  and  es- 
tablished a  fortified  camp,  the  center  of  operations  during 
all  his  campaigns,  at  Gilgal  (Josh.  4.  19). 

I.)   The   first  invasion  was  of  central  Palestine,  l)eginning 
with  Jericho  (Josh.  6),  taking  Ai  on  the  way  (Josh.  8),  and 


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36 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


ending  with  Shechem,  which  apparently  fell  without  resist- 
ance (Josh.  8.  30-33).  This  campaign  gave  to  Israel  the 
center  of  the  land  and  divided  their  enemies  into  two  sections. 
2.)  Next  came  the  campaign  against  southern  Palestine. 
At  this  time  was  fought  the  battle  of  Beth-horon  (Josh.  10.  10), 
the  most  momentous  in  its  results  in  all  history,  and  one  over 
which,  if  ever,  the  sun  and  moon  might  well  stand  still  (Josh. 


JOSHUA'S   VICTORY. 


-tP^  Belhtl 


^i'THai)    ,,1  ,     ,  J       i\  ^'ylU  March 


JERUSALEM 


BETHLEHEM  o 


JOSHUA  S  VICTORY  AT  BP;TH-H0R0N. 

10.  12,  13).*  After  this  great  victory  Joshua  pursued  his 
enemies  and  took  the  towns  as  far  south  as  Hebron  and  Debir 
(Josh.  10.  29-39). 

3.)  Lastly,  Joshua  conquered  northern  Palestitie  (Josh. 
11).  The  battle  in  this  campaign  was  near  Lake  Merom 
(Josh.  II.  7),  and,  as  befcjre,  it  was  followed  by  the  capture 
of  many  cities  in  the  north.  Thus,  in  those  marches  Joshua 
won.  all  the  mountain  region  of  western  Palestine. 

*  The  account  of  the  sun  and  moon  standing  still  is  an  extract  from  an  ancient  poem, 
and  i;  so  primed  in  the  Revised  Version.  The  subject  is  discussed  in  Geikie's //oaz-i 
With  the  Bible,  foot-note  with  chapter  xiii. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        37 

3.  There  were  certain  supplementary  campaigns,  partly 
in  Joshua's  lime,  partly  atlcrwarel. 

I.)  Caleb's  capture  of  Hebron,  which  had  been  re-occupied 
by  the  Aniorites  (Josh.  14  ;  Judg.   i.  10-15). 

2.)  The  Judahites'  capture  of  Bezek,  an  unknown  place 
between  Jerusalem  and  the  Philistine  plain  (Judg.  i.  1-8). 

3.)  The  Danites'  capture  of  Laish,  in  the  extreme  north, 
which  afterward  bore  the  name  of  Dan  (Judg.  18). 

But,  after  all  these  campaigns,  a  large  part  of  the  land  was 
still  unsubdued,  and  the  war  of  the  conquest  did  not  end  un- 
til the  days  of  David,  by  whom  every  foe  was  finally  placed 
under  foot. 

III.  GENERAL  ASPECTS  OF  ISRAEL  AT 
THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  CONQUEST. 

1.  With  regard  to  the  native  races.  They  were  not  de- 
stroyed nor  driven  away,  as  had  been  commanded.*  They 
remained  as  subject  people  in  some  places,  as  the  ruling  race 
on  the  sea-coast  and  in  the  Jordan  valley.  We  see  their  in- 
fluence, always  injurious,  throughout  all  Israel's  history  (Exod. 
23.  31-33  ;  Deut.  7.  1-5)  ;  and  some  think  that  the  present 
inhabitants  of  the  country  belong  to  the  original  Canaanite 
stock. 

2.  The  Israelites  did  not  occupy  all  the  country.  They 
possessed  wmmA  of  the  mountain  region,  but  none  of  the  sea- 
coast  i^lain  on  the  Jordan  valley.  They  were  like  the  Swiss 
in  modern  times,  living  among  the  mountains.  Even  in  the 
New  Testajiient  j)eriod  the  lowlands  were  occupied  mainly 
by  Gentiles. 

3.  The  landed  system  was  peculiar.  Estates  were  in- 
alienable.    They  might  be  leased,  but  not   sohl ;  and  on  the 

*  With  regard  to  the  destruction  of  the  Canaanites  :  i.  Such  destruction  was  the  almost 
universal  custom  of  the  ancient  world.  2.  It  was  deserved  by  the  Canaanites,  who  were 
among  the  most  wicked  of  ancient  peoples.  3.  It  was  necessary,  if  Israel  was  to  be  kept 
from  the  corruption  of  their  morals,  and  upon  Israel's  character  depended  the  world  in 
after  ages.  4.  As  a  result  of  failing  to  extirpate  the  Canaanites  a  vastly  greater  number 
of  the  Israelites  were  destroyed  during  the  succeeding  centuries. 


38        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

year  of  Jubilee  (every  fiftieth  year)  all  land  reverted  to  the 
family  originally  owning  it.  Thus  every  family  had  its  an- 
cestral home,  the  poor  were  protected,  and  riches  were  kept 
within  bounds. 

4.  The  government  was  a  republic  of  families  without 
an  executive  head,  except  when  a  judge  was  raised  up  to 
meet  special  needs.  Each  tribe  had  its  own  rulers,  but  there 
was  no  central  authority  after  Joshua  (Judg.  21.  25).  This 
had  its  evils,  for  it  led  to  national  weakness  ;  but  it  had  its 
benefits  :  i.)  It  kept  Israel  from  becoming  a  great  worldly 
kingdom  like  Egypt  and  Assyria,  which  would  have  thwarted 
the  divine  purpose.  2.)  It  promoted  individuality  and  per- 
sonal energy  of  character.  There  would  have  been  no  "  age 
of  heroes  "  if  Israel  had  been  a  kingdom  like  Egypt. 

5.  The  religious  system  was  simple.  There  was  but 
one  altar  at  Shiloh  for  all  the  land  and  for  all  the  tribes,  and 
the  people  were  required  to  visit  it  for  the  three  great  feasts 
(Deut.  12.  II,  14;  Josh.  18.  i).  This  was  the  religious  bond 
which  united  the  people.  If  it  had  been  maintained  they 
would  have  needed  no  other  constitution,  and  even  its  partial 
observance  kept  the  people  one  nation. 

6.  The  character  of  the  people  was  diverse.  Through- 
out the  history  we  trace  the  working  of  two  distinct  elements. 
There  was  the  true  Israel — the  earnest,  religious,  God-wor- 
sliiping  section,  the  Israel  of  Joshua  and  Gideon  and  Samuel. 
Then  there  was  the  underlying  mass  of  the  people — secular, 
ignorant,  prone  to  idolatry,  the  Israel  that  worshiped  Baal  and 
Ashtoreth,  and  sought  alliance  with  the  heathen.  One  ele- 
ment was  the  hope  of  the  nation,  the  other  was  its  bane. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         39 


Blackboard  Outline. 


I.   Canaanites.       i.   Var.     2.    Ham.   rac.      3.    Idol.     4.   Weak. 
II.   Camp.  Conq.      i.  Camp.  Eas.  Jor.      i.)  Gil.  Jah.      2.)  Bash. 
Ed.     3.)  Mid. 

2.  Camp.  Wes.  Jor.       i.)  Cent.   Pal.  Jcr.   Ai.  She.       2.)  Sou. 

Pal.  Beth-hor.     3.)  Nor.  Pal.  E.  Mer. 

3.  Supp.    Camp.        I.)   Cal.    cap.    Ileb.       2.)    Jud.    cap.    Bez. 

(3.)  Dan.  cap.  Eai. 
III.   Gen.  Asp.  Isr.  at  Clo.  Conq.     i.  Nat.  rac.  sub.     2.   Isr.  in 
mtn.  reg.      3.    Land.  sys.      4.   ( lov.  rep.  fam.      5.   Rel.  sys. 
6.  Char.  pto. 


QUESTIONS    FOR    REVIEW. 

What  was  the  political  system  of  the  Canaanites  before  the  conquest  ? 

How  did  this  condition  affect  the  result  of  the  war? 

To  what  i^ace  did  the  Canaanite  tribes  belong  ? 

What  was  their  religion  ? 

What  was  the  effect  of  their  worship  on  their  character? 

What  had  taken  place  shortly  before  the  coming  of  the  Israelites  ? 

What  campaigns  of  conquest  were  made  before  the  death  of  Moses  ? 

What  battles  were  fought  in  these  campaigns  ? 

What  tribes  took  possession  of  this  territory  ? 

On  which  side  of  the  Jordan  were  Joshua's  campaigns  ? 

What  traits  as  a  military  leader  did  he  show  ? 

What  places  were  captured  on  the  first  of  Joshua's  campaigns? 

What  was  the  effect  of  this  campaign  on  the  enemies? 

Against  what  section  was  Joshua's  second  campaign? 

Whei-e  was  the  great  battle  fought  ? 

What  is  said  to  have  taken  place  at  this  l)attle? 

What  cities  were  captured  at  this  time  ? 

Where  was  the  third  campaign  of  Joshua  directed? 

Where  was  the  battle  fought  in  this  campaign? 

What  were  the  three  supplementary  camj^aigns  ? 

What  city  was  conquered  by  Caleb  ? 

What  city  was  occupied  by  the  tribe  of  Dan? 

What  king,  long  after  Joshua,  completed  the  conquest  of  Canaan? 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  native  races  after  the  conquest  ? 

What  was  the  result  of  their  continuance  in  the  land  ? 

What  portion  of  the  country  was  occupied  by  the  Israelites? 


40         STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

What  modern  analogy  is  given  to  them  ? 

What  was  the  system  of  land-tenure  among  the  Israelites? 

What  were  some  of  its  benefits? 

What  was  the  form  of  government  ? 

Wherein  was  this  system  defective  ? 

What  were  its  excellences  ? 

"What  was  the  religious  system  of  the  Israelites? 

What  was  the  effect  of  this  system  ? 

What  was  the  religious  character  of  the  people  ? 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  mass  of  the  Israelites  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers, 

Joshua  as  a  General. 

Beth-horon  as  one  of  the  World's  Greatest  Battles. 

The  Moral  Aspects  of  the  Destruction  of  the  Canaanites. 

The  River  Jordan. 

The  History  of  Jericho. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         41 


KOHIRTH    STUI3Y. 

THE  AGE  OF  THE  HEROES. 

From  the  death  of  Joshua  (about  B.  C.  1426)  to  the  cor- 
onation of  Saul  (B.  C.  1095)  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  were 
without  a  central  government,  except  as  from  time  to  time 
men  of  ability  rose  up  among  them.  It  was  not  as  some  have 
supposed,  ''an  age  of  anarchy,"  for  anarchy  is  confusion  ;  and 
during  most  of  the  three  hundred  and  thirty  years  there  were 
peace  and  order  in  Israel.  It  was  rather  an  age  of  heroes, 
for  its  rulers  were  neither  hereditary  nor  elective,  but  men 
called  forth  by  the  needs  of  the  hour  and  their  own  qualities 
of  leadership. 

I.  THE  CONDITION  OF  ISRAEL  DURING 
THIS  PERIOD.  This  was  partly  favorable,  and  partly 
unfavoralile.     The  favorable  elements  were  : 

1.  The  mountain  location  of  Israel.  The  tribes  were 
perched  like  Switzerland  in  the  Alps.  There  was  a  desert  on 
the  south  and  on  the  east,  while  on  the  west  lay  the  plain  by 
the  sea,  the  great  route  of  travel  between  Egypt  and  the  Eu- 
phrates. Great  armies  passed  and  repassed  over  this  plain, 
and  great  battles  were  fought  by  Egyptians,  Hittites,  and  As- 
syrians, while  Israel  on  her  mountain  peaks  was  unmolested. 
This  mountain  home  left  Israel  generally  unnoticed,  and, 
when  attacked,  almost  inaccessible. 

2.  The  racial  unity  of  Israel.  The  two  finest  races  of 
the  world,  the  Greek  and  the  Israelite,  were  both  of  pure 
blood.  The  Israelites  Avere  one  in  origin,  in  language,  in 
traditions,  in  aspirations.  This  national  unity  often  brought 
the  tribes  together  in  times  of  distress;  though  not  alway  ; 
when  their  imion  was  needed. 

3.  The  religious  institutions.  In  Greece  every  town 
had  its  own  god  and  its  own  rchgion  ;  hence  the  many  parties 
and  petty  nationalities.     But  in  Israel  there  was  in  theory  but 


42         STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

one  altar,  one  house  of  God,  one  system  of  worship,  with  its 
annual  pilgrimage  to  the  religious  capital  (i  Sam.  i.  3).  Just 
to  the  measure  in  which  these  institutions  were  observed, 
Israel  was  strong  against  all  foes,  and  as  they  were  neglected 
the  land  became  the  prey  of  oppressors  (Judg.  2.  7-14;  1 
Sam.   7.  3). 

But  there  were  also  unfavorable  elements  in  the  condition 
of  Israel,  which  threatened  its  very  existence.     These  were : 

1.  The  native  races.  These  were  of  two  kinds  :  the 
subject  peoples  left  on  the  soil,  more  or  less  under  the  dom- 
ination of  the  conquerors,  and  the  surrounding  nations.  Am- 
nion, Moab,  Syria,  and  the  Philistines.  There  was  danger 
from  their  enmity,  a  rebellion  of  the  subject  tribes,  allied  with 
the  enemies  around,  for  the  destruction  of  Israel.  And  there 
was  far  greater  danger  from  their  friendship,  which  would 
lead  to  intermarriage,  to  idolatry,  to  corruption  of  morals,  and 
to  ruin  (Judg.  3.  1-7). 

2.  Lack  of  a  central  government.  Israel  was  in 
the  condition  of  the  United  States  at  the  close  of  the  Rev- 
olution, from  1783  to  1789,  a  loose  confederation  with  no 
central  authority.  There  were  twelve  tribes,  but  each  gov- 
erned itself.  Only  under  some  great  chieftain  like  Gideon  or 
Samuel  were  all  the  twelve  tribes  united.  Most  of  the  judges 
ruled  only  over  their  own  district  of  a  few  adjoining  tribes. 
Often  the  northern  tribes  were  in  peril,  but  we  never  read  of 
Judah  going  to  their  assistance  ;  and  in  Judah's  wars  with 
the  Philistines  the  northern  tribes  stood  aloof. 

3.  Tribal  jealousy.  Until  the  establishment  of  the 
American  republic  the  world  never  saw,  for  any  length  of 
time,  a  league  of  states  on  an  equal  footing.  In  Greece  the 
strongest  state  claimed  the  hegemony,  or  leadership,  and  op- 
pressed its  allies.  In  Italy  the  Romans  reduced  all  their 
neighbors  to  subjection.  In  Europe  it  now  requires  an  army 
of  more  than  a  million  men  to  maintain  the  "  balance  of 
power."     So  in   Israel    there  was  a  constant  struggle  for  the 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        43 

leadership  between  the  two  great  tribes  of  Judah  and  Ephraini. 
During  the  period  of  the  judges  Ephraim  was  constantly  as- 
serting its  right  to  rule  the  other  tribes  (Judg.  8.  1-3;  12. 
1-6).  We  trace  this  rivalry  through  all  the  reign  of  David  ; 
and  at  last  it  led  to  the  division  of  the  empire  under  Rehoboam. 

4.  Idolatrous  tendencies.  We  note  constantly  "the 
two  Israels  " — -a  spiritual  minority  and  an  irreligious,  idol- 
atrous mass.  For  ten  centuries  the  greatest  evil  of  Israelite 
history  was  the  tendency  to  the  worship  of  idols.  Causes 
which  operated  to  promote  it  were  :  i.)  The  natural  craving 
for  a  visible  object  of  worship,  not  altogether  eradicated  from 
even  the  Christian  heart ;  for  example,  Romish  images  and 
ritualistic  bowing  toward  the  altar.  2.)  The  association  of 
Israel  with  idolaters  on  the  soil  or  as  neighbors.  3.)  The  op- 
portunity which  idol-worship  gives  to  gratify  lust  under  the 
guise  of  religion.  As  a  result  of  these  forces  we  find  idol- 
worship  the  crying  sin  of  the  Israelites  down  to  the  captivity 
in  Babylon. 

II.  THE  JUDGES  OF  ISRAEL.  These  were  the 
heroes  of  that  age,  the  men  who  in  turn  led  the  tribes,  freed 
them  from  their  enemies,  and  restored  them  to  the  service  of 
Cod. 

1.  Their  office.  It  was  not  generally  to  try  legal  cases 
between  man  and  man,  or  between  tribe  and  tribe.  It  might 
be  regarded  as  a  military  dictatorship  blended  with  a  religious 
authority.  The  judge  was  a  union  of  the  warrior  and  the  re- 
ligious reformer. 

2.  Their  appointment ;  not  by  election,  nor  the  votes  of 
the  people.  The  Orientals  have  never  chosen  their  rulers  by 
suffrage.  The  judges  were  men  whom  the  people  recognized 
as  called  of  Cod  to  their  office  (Judg.  2.  16  ;   3.  9  ;  6.  11-13). 

3.  Their  authority  rested  not  on  law,  nor  on  armies,  but 
on  the  personal  elements  of  integrity  and  leadership  in  the 
men,  and  on  the  general  belief  in  their  inspiration.  They 
spoke  to  the  people  with  the  authority  of  a  messenger  from 


44        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

God.  They  arose  in  some  hour  of  great  need,  and  after  the 
immediate  danger  was  over  held  their  power  until  the  end  of 
their  lives. 

4.  The  extent  of  their  rule  was  generally  local,  over  a 
few  tribes  in  one  section.  Deborali  ruled  in  the  north  (Judg. 
5.  14-1S);  Jephthah  governed  the  east  of  the  Jordan  only 
(Judg.  II.  29).  Often  more  than  one  judge  was  ruling  at  the 
same  time  ;  probably  Samson  and  Eli  were  contemporaneous. 
Gideon  and  Samuel  alone  ruled  all  the  twelve  tribes, 

III.  THE  OPPRESSIONS  AND  DELIVERERS. 
During  these  three  centuries  the  influences  already  named 
brought  Israel  many  times  under  the  domination  of  foreign 
power.  The  story  was  always  the  same,  forsaking  God,  follow- 
ing idols,  subjection,  reformation,  victory,  and  temjjorary  pros- 
perity. We  notice  the  seven  oppressions.  Some  of  these 
were  undoubtedly  contemporaneous. 

1.  The  Mesopotamian  Oppression.  (Judg.  3.  7-11.) 
Probably  this  was  over  the  southern  portion,  and  the  invaders 
came  by  the  east  and  around  the  Dead  Sea,  as  earlier  invad- 
ers from  the  same  land  had  come  (Gen.  14.  1-7).  The  de- 
liverer was  Othniel,  the  first  judge,  and  the  only  judge  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah. 

2.  The  Moabite  Oppression.  (Judg.  3. 12-30.)  Over 
the  eastern  and  central  section,  including  Ephraim  (verse  27); 
deliverer,  Ehud,  the  second  judge  ;  battle  fought  at  the  ford 
of  the  river  Jordan  (verse  28). 

3.  The  Early  Philistine  Oppression.  (Judg.  3.  31.) 
Over  the  south-west,  on  the  frontier  of  Judah  ;  deliverer. 
Sham  gar. 

4.  The  Canaanite  Oppression.  (Judg.  4.)  Over  the 
northern  tribes  ;  deliverer,  Deborah,  the  woman  judge;  battle 
at  Mount  Tabor. 

5.  The  Midianite  Oppression.  (Judg.  6.  1-6.)  Over 
the  northern  center,  especially  Manasseh-east  ;  the  most 
severe   of  all  ;  deliverer,  Gideon,  the   greatest   of  the  judges 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         45 

(Judg.  6.  II,  12)  ;  battle,  on  Mount  Gilboa  (Judg.  7),  followed 
by  other  victories  (Judg.  8). 

6.  The  Ammonite  Oppression.  (Judg.  10.  7-9.)  Note 
an  alliance  between  the  Aniorites  and  Pliilistines,  which  is 
suggestive  ;  mainly  over  the  tribes  on  the  east  of  Jordan  ; 
deliverer,  Jephthah  *  (Judg.  i  i)  ;  victory  at  Aroer  (verse  t^:^. 

7.  The  Philistine  Oppression.  (Judg.  13.)  This  was 
the  most  jjrotracted  of  all,  for  it  extended,  with  intervals  of 
freedom,  for  a  hundred  years  ;  embraced  all  tiie  land,  but 
was  most  heavily  felt  south  of  Mounts  Carmel  and  Gilboa. 
The  liberation  was  begun  by  Samson  (Judg.  13.  5),  but  he 
was  led  astray  by  sensual  lusts  and  became  a  failure.  P'ree- 
dom  was  later  won  by  Samuel  at  the  battle  of  Ebenezer 
(i  Sam.  7.  7-14)  ;  but  the  oppression  was  renewed  in  the  time 
of  Saul,  and  became  heavier  than  ever  (i  Sam.  13.  17-20) 
Finally  the  yoke  was  broken  by  David,  in  a  succession  (;f 
victories,  ending  with  the  capture  of  Gath,  the  Philistine  cap- 
ital (2  Sam.  5.  17-25  ;   i  Chron.  18.  i). 

Note  with  each  oppression:  i.)  The  opjjressor.  2.)  The 
section   oppressed.      3.)   The  dcli\crer.      4.)   The  battlefield. 

IV.  THE  GENERAL  ASPECTS  OF  THE 
PERIOD. 

I.  It  was  an  age  of  individuality.  There  was  no  strong 
government  to  oppress  the  people,  to  concentrate  all  the  life 
of  the  nation  at  the  court,  and  to  repress  individuality.  Con- 
trast Persia  with  (ireece;  Rome  under  the  emperors  with  Rome 
as  a  republic.  As  men  were  needed  they  were  raised  up,  for 
there  was  opportunity  for  character.  Hence  it  was  an  age  of 
heroes — Othnicl,  Ehud,  Shamgar,  Gideon,  Jephthah,  Samson, 
Samuel,  etc.      Free  institutions  bring  strong  men  to  the  front. 

*  Witli  Jejihlhah  is  associated  the  only  instance  of  human  sacrifice  offered  to  Jehovah 
in  all  Bible  history  ;  and  this  was  by  an  ignorant  freebooter,  in  a  part  of  the  land  farthest 
from  the  instructions  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  ]  riesthood.  When  we  consider  that  the 
practice  of  human  sacrifice  was  universal  in  the  ancient  world,  and  that  not  only  captives 
taken  in  war  hut  also  the  children  of  the  worshipers  were  offered  (2  Kings  3.  26,  27 ;  Mic. 
6.  7),  this  fact  is  a  remarkable  evidence  of  the  elevating  power  cf  the  Isr.ielite  worship. 


46        STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

2.  It  was  an  age  of  neglect  of  the  law.  During  all  this 
period  there  is  no  allusion  to  the  law  of  Moses.  Its  regula- 
tions were  ignored,  except  so  far  as  they  belonged  to  the  com- 
mon law  of  conscience  and  right.  The  laws  of 'Moses  were 
not  deliberately  disobeyed,  but  were  ignorantly  neglected. 
Even  good  men,  as  Gideon  and  Samuel,  built  altars  and 
offered  sacrifices  (Judg.  6.  24;  i  Sam.  7.  9)  contrary  to  the 
letter  of  the  law  of  Moses,  but  obeying  its  spirit. 

3.  Nevertheless,  it  was  an  age  of  progress.  There  were 
alternate  advancements  and  retrogressions  ;  yet  we  see  a  peo- 
ple with  energy,  rising  in  spite  of  their  hinderances.  By  de- 
grees government  became  more  settled  (i  Sam.  7.  15-17), 
foreign  relations  arose  (i  Sam.  7.  14  ;  Ruth  i.  i),  and  the  peo- 
ple began  to  look  toward  a  more  stable  system  (i  Sam.  8.  4-6), 

Blackboard  Outline. 
4. 

I.  Cond.   Isr.     Fav.      i.   Mtn.    Loc.     2.    Rac.    Un.     3.    Rel. 
Ins. 
Unfav.       I.   Nat.   Rac.      2.   Lac.  cent.  gov. 
3.  Tri.  jeal.     4.    Idol.  ten. 
II.  Jud.  Isr,     I.  Off.     2.  App.     3.  Auth.     4.  Ext.  ru. 
III.  Opp.  and  Deliv.   0pp.  Sec.  Deliv.  Batt.-Jie. 

1.  Mes.  Sou.         Oth. 

2.  Moab.       Ea.  cen.  Ehu.  For.  Jor. 

3.  Ea.  Phil.  So.-wes.  Sham. 

4.  Can.  Nor.         Deb.  Mt.  Tab. 
Nor.  cen.  Gid.  Mt.  Gil. 
East.         Jeph.             Aro. 
k\\.           Sanis.Saml.  Eben. 

Dav.       Gath. 
2.  Neg.  Law.     3.  Prog. 


IV 


5- 
6. 

7- 

Mid. 
.A  mm 
Phil. 

Gen. 

Asp. 

Per, 

I.  Ind. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW, 

How  long  was  this  period  ?  What  were  its  traits  ?  What  were  the  con- 
ditions favorable  to  Israel  during  this  period  ?  How  did  their  location  aid 
the  Israelites?  Wherein  were  the  Israelites  one  people?  How  did  their 
religious  institutions  keep  them  together? 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         47 

What  were  the  unfavorable  and  dangerous  elements  in  the  condition  of 
Israel  ?  How  were  they  in  danger  from  the  native  races  ?  What  was 
lacking  in  the  government  of  Israel?  What  two  tribes  were  in  rivalry? 
Wliat  was  the  effect  of  tliis  jealousy  ?  What  analogy  is  found  in  ancient 
history  ?  How  is  the  same  principle  illustrated  in  modern  times  ?  What 
evil  tendency  was  manifested  in  Israel  through  nearly  all  its  history? 
Wliat  causes  are  assigned  for  this  tendency? 

What  was  the  office  of  a  judge  in  Israel  ?  How  were  the  judges  ap- 
pointed ?     What  was  their  authority  ?     How  widely  did  their  rule  extend  ? 

What  resulted  from  tliese  evil  tendencies  in  Israel  ?  How  many  oppres- 
sors were  there?  Who  were  the  first  oppressors  ?  Over  wliat  part  of  the 
country  was  the  first  oppression  ?  Who  delivered  Israel  from  it  ?  Wliat 
was  the  second  oppression  ?  What  part  of  the  country  suffered  from  it  ? 
Who  was  the  deliverer  ?  Where  was  the  battle  fought?  What  was  the 
third  oppression,  and  where?  Who  delivered  Israel?  What  was  the 
fourth  oppression  ?  Where  was  it  ?  Who  was  the  deliverer  ?  Where  was 
the  victory  won  ?  What  was  the  fifth  oppression  ?  Over  what  part  of  the 
country  was  it  ?  Who  delivered  Israel  from  it  ?  What  was  the  sixth  op- 
pression ?  Over  what  part  of  the  land  was  it?  Who  delivered  from  it? 
What  was  the  last  oppression  ?  How  did  it  differ  from  the  others  ?  What 
three  names  are  associated  in  the  deliverance  from  its  power? 

What  are  the  three  general  aspects  of  this  period  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

Thk  Israp:lite  Republic. 

The  Career  of  Gideon. 

The  Vov^r  of  Jephthah. 

The  Failure  of  Samson. 

Shiloh  and  the  Tabernacle. 

Family  Life  during  the  Age  of  the  Judges, 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        49 

KiKXH   STUDY. 

THE  RISE  OF  THE  ISRAELITE  EMPIRE. 

The  coronation  of  Saul  (B.  C.  1095)  marks  an  epoch  in 
the  history  of  Israel.  From  that  point,  for  five  hundred  years, 
the  chosen  people  were  under  the  rule  of  kings. 

I.  THE  CAUSES  LEADING  TO  THE  MON- 
ARCHY. The  kingdom  was  not  an  accidental  nor  a  sudden 
event.  There  had  been  a  gradual  preparation  for  it  through 
all  the  period  of  the  judges. 

1.  Note  the  tendency  toward  settled  government.  In 
the  time  of  Gideon  the  people  desired  him  to  become  a  king 
(Judg.  8.  22,  23).  His  son  attempted  to  make  himself  a 
king,  but  failed  (Judg.  9).  We  find  judges  setting  up  a  semi- 
royal  state,  and  making  marriages  for  their  children  outside  of 
their  tribe  (Judg.  12.  9,  13,  14).  Judges  associating  their  sons 
with  themselves  (Judg.  10.  4  ;  i  Sam.  8.  i,  2).  All  these  show 
a  monarchical  trend  in  the  time. 

2.  Another  cause  was  the  consolidation  of  the  sur- 
rounding nations.  In  the  days  of  the  conquest  there  were 
few  kings  in  the  lands  neighboring  Palestine.  We  read  of 
"  lords  "  and  "  elders,"  but  no  kings,  among  the  Philistines, 
the  Moabites,  the  Ammonites,  and  the  Phenicians  (Judg.  3. 
3  ;  I  Sam.  5.  8  ;  Num.  22.  7).  But  a  wave  of  revolution 
swept  over  all  those  lands,  as  about  the  same  time  over 
Greece  ;  and  very  soon  we  find  that  every  nation  around  Is- 
rael had  its  king  (i  Sam.  21.10;  1 1.  i  ;  22.  3  ;  2  Sam.  5.  11). 
The  movement  of  Israel  toward  monarchy  was  in  accordance 
with  this  spirit. 

3.  There  was  a  danger  of  invasion,  which  impelled  the 
Israelites  to  seek  for  a  stronger  government  (i  Sam.  12.  12). 
They  felt  themselves  weak,  while  other  nations  were  organ- 
ized for  conquest,  and  desired  a  king  for  leader  in  war, 

4.  Then,  too,  the  rule   of  Samuel  led  the  Israelites  to 
3 


50        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


desire  a  better  organization  of  the  government.  For  twenty 
years  they  had  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a  wise,  strong,  and 
steady  rule.  They  felt  unwilling  to  risk  the  dangers  of  tribal 
dissension  after  the  death  of  Samuel,  and  therefore  they  sought 
for  a  king. 

5.  But  underlying  all  was  the  worldly  ambition  of  the 
people.  They  were  not  willing  to  remain  the  people  of  God, 
and  work  out  a  peculiar  destiny.  They  wished  to  be  like  the 
nations  around,  to  establish  a  secular  state,  to  conquer  an 
empire  for  themselves  (i  Sam.  8.  5-20).  It  was  this  worldly 
spirit,  whose  results  Samuel  saw,  which  made  him  unwilling 
to  accede  to  the  wish  of  the  Israelites.  But  the  very  things 
against  which  he  warned  them  (i  Sam.  8.  11-18)  were  just 
what  they  desired. 

II.  THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  ISRAELITE 
KINGDOM.  When  men  change  their  plans  God  changes 
his.  He  desired  Israel  to  remain  a  republic,  and  not  to  enter 
into  worldly  relations  and  aims.  When,  however,  the  Israel- 
ites were  determined,  God  gave  them  a  king(i  Sam.  8.  22); 
but  his  rule  was  not  to  be  like  that  of  the  nations  around  Is- 
rael. We  ascertain  the  divine  ideal  of  a  kingdom  for  his 
chosen  people: 

1.  It  was  a  theocratic  kingdom.  That  is,  it  recog- 
nized God  as  the  supreme  ruler,  and  the  king  as  his  repre- 
sentative, to  rule  in  accordance  with  his  will,  and  not  by  his 
own  right.  Only  as  people  and  king  conformed  to  this  prin- 
ciple could  the  true  aims  of  the  kingdom  be  accomplished 
(i  Sam.  12.  13-15).  And  if  the  king  should  deviate  from  this 
order,  he  should  lose  his  throne.  Disobedience  to  the  divine 
will  caused  the  kingdom  to  pass  from  the  family  of  Saul  to 
that  of  David  (i  Sam.  13.  13,  14;    15.  26). 

2.  It  was  a  constitutional  kingdom.  The  rights  of 
the  people  were  carefully  guaranteed,  and  there  was  a  written 
constitution  (i  Sam.  10.  25),  Nearly  all  the  Oriental  countries 
have  always  been  governed  by  absolute  monarchs;  but  Israel 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         51 

was  an  exception  to  this  rule.  The  people  could  demand 
their  rights  from  Rehoboam  (i  Kings  12.  3,  4).  Ahab  could 
not  take  away  nor  even  buy  Naboth's  vineyard  against  its 
owner's  will  (i  Kings  21.  1-3).  No  doubt  the  rights  of  the 
people  were  often  violated;  but  the  violation  was  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  the  monarchy. 

3.  It  was  regulated  by  the  prophets.  The  order  of 
prophets  had  a  regular  standing  in  the  Israelite  state.  The 
prophet  was  a  check  upon  the  power  of  the  king,  as  a  repre- 
sentative both  of  God's  will  and  the  people's  rights.  He 
spoke  not  only  of  his  own  opinions,  but  by  the  authority  of 
of  God.  Notice  instances  of  the  boldness  of  prophets  in  re- 
buking kings  (i  Sam.  15.  16-23  ;  2  Sam.  12.  1-7;  i  Kings 
13.  1-6;  17.  I  ;  22.  7-17).  The  order  of  prophets  was 
like  the  House  of  Commons,  between  the  king  and  the 
people. 

HI.  THE  REIGN  OF  SAUL.  (P..  C.  1095-1055.) 
I.  This  may  be  divided  into  two  parts:  i.)  a  period  of  prosper- 
ity., during  which  Saul  ruled  well,  and  freed  Israel  from  its 
oppressors  on  every  side  (i  Sam.  14.  47,  48);  2.)  then  ^period 
of  decline.,  in  which  Saul's  kingdom  seems  to  be  falling  in 
pieces,  and  only  preserved  by  the  prowess  and  ability  of 
David.  After  David's  exile  the  Philistines  again  overran  Is- 
rael, and  Saul's  reign  ended  in  defeat  and  death. 

2.  We  observe  that  Saul's  reign  was  a  failure,  and  left 
the  tribes  in  worse  condition  than  it  found  them,  i.)  He 
failed  in  uniting  the  tribes ;  for  tribal  jealousies  continued 
(i  Sana.  10.  27),  and  at  the  close  of  his  reign  broke  out  anew 
in  the  establishment  of  rival  thrones  (2  Sam.  2.  4,8,  9).  2.) 
He  failed  in  makitig  friends.  He  alienated  Samuel,  and  with 
him  the  order  of  proj)hets  (i  Sam.  15.  35)  ;  he  alienated  Da- 
vid, the  ablest  young  man  of  his  age,  and  the  rising  hope  of 
Israel,  and  drove  him  into  exile  (i  Sam.  21.  10);  he  alien- 
ated the  entire  order  of  the  i)riests,  and  caused  many  of  them 
to  be  massacred  (i  Sam.  22.  18).      3.)  He  failed  to  advance 


52        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

religion;  left  the  tabernacle  in  ruins;  left  the  ark  in  seclu- 
sion; broke  up  the  service;  and  drove  the  priests  whom  he 
did  not  murder  into  exile  (i  Sam.  22.  20-23).  4-)  He  failed 
/('  liberate  Israel ;  at  his  death  the  yoke  of  the  Philistines  was 
more  severe  than  ever  before  (i  Sam.  31.  1-7).  The  most 
charitable  view  of  Saul  was  that  he  was  insane  during  the 
latter  years  of  his  life.  The  cause  of  his  failure  was  a  desire 
to  reign  as  an  absolute  monarch,  and  an  unwillingness  to  sub- 
mit to  the  constitution  of  the  realm. 

IV.  THE  REIGN  OF  DAVID.  (B.C.  1055-1015.) 
This  was  a  brilliant  period;  for  it  was  led  by  a  great  man,  in 
nearly  every  respect  the  greatest  after  Moses  in  Israelite 
history. 

1.  Notice  the  condition  of  Israel  at  his  accession. 
Tliis  will  throw  into  relief  the  greatness  of  his  character  and 
his  achievements. 

I.)  1\.  wa.?,  a.  subject  people  J  under  Philistine  yoke;  its  Avar- 
riors  slain  ;  many  of  its  cities  deserted  ;  David  himself  prob- 
ably at  first  tributary  to  the  King  of  Gath. 

2.)  It  was  a  disorganized  people.  The  tribes  were  divided; 
national  unity  was  lost;  and  two  thrones  were  set  up,  one  at 
Hebron,  the  other  at  Mahanaim  (2  Sam.  2.  4-9). 

3.)  It  was  a  people  without  religion.  The  tabernacle  was 
gone;  the  ark  was  in  neglect  ;  there  was  no  altar  and  no  sac- 
rifice ;  the  priests  had  been  slain. 

We  can  scarcely  imagine  Israel  at  a  lower  ebb  than  when 
David  was  called  to  the  throne. 

2.  We  ascertain  David's  achievements;  the  results  of 
his  reign,  i.)  He  united  the  tribes.  At  first  crowned  king  by 
Judah  only,  later  he  was  made  king  over  all  the  tribes,  by 
the  desire  of  all  (2  Sam.  5.  1-5).  During  his  reign  we  find 
but  little  trace  of  the  old  feud  between  Ephraim  and  Judah, 
though  it  was  not  dead,  and  destined  yet  to  rend  the  king- 
dom asunder. 

2.)  He  subjugated  the  land.     The    conquest    of   Palestine, 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


53 


EMPIRE 


DAVID 


left  incomplete  by  Joshua,  and  delayed  for  three  hundred 
years,  was  finished  at  last  by  David  in  the  capture  of 
Jebus  or  Jerusalem  (2  Sam.  5.  6,  7),  in  tlie  overthrow  of 
the  Philistines  (2  Sam.  5.  17-25),  and  in  the  final  capture  of 
their  capital  city  ( i 
Chron.  18.  i).  At 
last  Israel  was  ijos- 
sessor  of  its  own 
land. 

3.)  He  o}-gaiiizcd 
the  goveriDHOit.  He 
established  a  capital 
(2  Sam.  5.  9).  He 
built  a  palace  (2 
Sam.  5.  11).  Notice 
that  the  builders 
were  fro  m  Tyre, 
showing  that  the  Is- 
raelites were  not  ad- 
vanced in  the  arts. 
He  established  a  sys- 
tem of  government, 
with  officers  in  the 
court  and  through- 
out the  realm  (i 
Chron.  27.  25-34). 
("ontrast  all  this  with 
vSaul,  who  ruled  from 
his  tent,  like  a  Be- 
douin sheik. 

4.)  n,'  ,-slabliiJieJ 
an  army.  'I'licre  was  a  royal  body-guard,  probably  of  foreign- 
ers, like  that  of  many  European  kings  in  modern  times  (2  Sam. 
8.  18;  15.  tS).  1'here  was  a  band  of  heroes,  like  Arthur's 
Round  'I'able  (2  Sam.  23.  8-39).      There  was  "  the  host,"  the 


54        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

available  military  force,  divided  into  twelve  divisions,  one  on 
duty  each  month  (i  Chron.  27.  1-15). 

5.)  He  established  religion.  No  sooner  was  David  on  the 
throne  than  he  brought  the  ark  out  of  its  hiding-place,  and 
gave  it  a  new  home  in  his  capital  (i  Chron.  16.  i).  The 
priesthood  was  organized,  and  divided  into  courses  for  the 
service  of  the  tabernacle  (i  Chron.  23.  27-32  ;  24.  1-19). 
He  wrote  many  psalms,  and  caused  others  to  be  written,  for 
the  worsliip  of  God.  Two  prophets  stood  by  liis  throne 
(i  Chron.  29.  29),  and  two  high-priests  stood  by  the  altar 
(i  Chron.  24.  3).  This  organization  and  uplifting  of  the  pub- 
lic worship  had  a  great  effect  upon  the  kingdom. 

6.)  He  conquered  all  the  surrounding  nations.  These  wars 
were  largely  forced  upon  David  by  the  jealousy  of  the  neigh- 
boring kingdoms.  In  turn  his  armies  conquered  and  annexed 
to  his  dominions  the  land  of  the  Philistines  (i  Chron.  18.  i), 
Moab  (2  Sam.  8.  2),  Syria,  even  to  the  great  river  Euphrates 
(2  Sam.  8.  3-6);  Edom  (2  Sam.  8.  14),  Amnion,  and  the  coun- 
try east  of  Palestine  (2  Sam.  10.  1-14  ;  12.  26-31).  The 
empire  of  David  thus  extended  from  the  frontier  of  Egypt  to 
the  Euphrates  River,  fulfilling  the  promise  of  Josh  i.  4.  It 
was  at  least  six  times  the  area  of  the  twelve  tribes. 

7.)  We  may  add  that  he  reigned  as  a  theocratic  king.  He 
realized  more  than  any  other  monarch  the  divine  ideal  of  a 
ruler,  and  so  was  "the  man  after  God's  own  heart"  (i  Sam. 
13.  14);  if  not  altogether  in  personal  character,  yet  in  the 
principles  of  his  government.  He  respected  the  rights  of  his 
subjects,  had  a  sympathy  for  all  people,  obeyed  the  voice  of 
the  prophets,  and  sought  the  interests  of  God's  cause.* 

*  With  regard  to  David's  crimes  against  Uriah  and  his  wife,  note  that  no  other  ancient 
mf)narch  would  have  hesitated  to  commit  such  an  act,  or  would  have  cared  for  it  after, 
ward  ;  while  David  submitted  to  the  prophet's  rebuke,  publicly  confessed  his  sin,  and 
showed  everj'  token  of  a  true  repentance. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         55 
Blackboard  Outline. 


I.    Cau.  lea.  Mon.     i.  Ten.  tow.  set.  gov.     2.  Con.  sur.  nat. 
3.   Dan.  inv.    4.   Ru.  Sam.    5.  Wor.  am. 
peo. 
H.  Char.  Isr.  Kin.     i.  Theo.    kin.     2.  Cons.  kin.     3.  Reg. 

by  pro. 
III.   Rei.  Sau.     i.  Pros,  and  Dec.     2.  Fai.     i.)  Un.  tri.     2.) 

Mak.  fri.     3.)  Adv.  rel.     4.)  Lib.  Isr. 
IV.   Rei.  Dav.   i.  Con.  Isr.  ace.     I.)  Sub.    2.)  Dis.    3.)  Wit.  rel. 
2.   Dav.  Achiev.     i.)  Uni.  tri.     2.)  Sub.  la.  3.) 
Org.  gov.     4.)  Est.  ar.     5.)  Est.  rel.     6.)  Conq. 
surr.  nat.     7.)I\ei.  theo.  kin. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW. 

What  event  marks  an  epoch  in  Israelite  history  ?  What  were  the  causes 
leading  to  the  monarchy?  What  events  in  the  period  of  the  judges  show 
a  tendency  toward  settled  government?  What  changes  in  government  in 
the  surrounding  nations  helped  to  bring  on  the  monarchy  in  Israel  ?  From 
what  source  did  external  danger  lead  the  Israelites  to  desire  a  king?  How 
had  Samuel  unconsciously  helped  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  kingdom  ?  What 
worldly  spirit  promoted  the  same  result  ? 

What  kind  of  a  kingdom  did  God  intend  for  Israel  ?  What  is  a  theo- 
cratic kingdom  ?  Wherein  was  Israel  an  exception  among  Oriental  king- 
doms ?  By  what  institution  was  the  kingdom  regulated?  Name  some 
instances  of  prophets  rebuking  kings. 

Into  what  two  parts  may  Saul's  reign  be  divided  ?  Wherein  was  Saul  a 
failure  ?     How  did  he  fail  in  gaining  and  holding  friends  ? 

What  was  the  condition  of  Israel  when  David  came  to  the  throne  ? 
What  were  the  achievements  of  David  ?  What  great  incomplete  work  did 
David  finish?  What  did  he  do  in  the  organization  of  his  kingdom? 
What  was  the  arrangement  of  his  army?  What  were  his  services  to  the 
cause  of  religion  ?  What  nations  did  he  conquer  ?  What  was  the  extent 
of  his  empire  ?     In  what  spirit  did  he  rule? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

IIOW  THE  Rf.I'UHLIC  liECAMK  A  MONARCHY. 

The  Early  Life  of  David. 

David  as  Hero,  Statesman,  and  Poet. 

Djvvid's  Training  for  the  Throne. 

Samuel,  the  Founder  of  the  Prophetic  Order. 

The  Causes  and  Results  of  Absalom's  Rebellion. 


r6      studies  in  old  testament  history. 
Sixth  Study. 

THE  GOLDEN  AGE  OF  ISRAEL. 

The  reign  of  Solomon  (B.  C.  1015-975)  may  be  regarded 
as  the  culminating  period  in  the  history  of  Israel.  But, 
strictly  speaking,  the  latter  part  of  David's  reign  and  only  the 
former  part  of  Solomon's  constitute  "  the  golden  age  of 
Israel ;  "  for  Solomon's  later  years  manifested  a  decline,  which 
after  his  death  rapidly  grew  to  a  fall. 

L  THE  REIGN  OF  SOLOMON. 

1.  His  claim  to  the  throne.  He  was  one  of  the  young- 
est of  David's  sons,  the  second  child  of  Bath-sheba,  born  dur- 
ing the  culmination  of  David's  reign  (i  Chron.  22.  7-9).  He 
obtained  the  throne  by  the  decree  of  David,  by  the  choice  of 
God,  as  the  one  among  David's  children  best  fitted  to  reign 
(i  Chron.  28.  5,  6).  The  principle  of  primogeniture,  or  the 
special  right  of  the  eldest  son,  was  not  fixed  in  those  times. 

2.  His  accession  was  marked  by  the  execution  of  three 
men,  Adonijah  (i  Kings  2.  24,  25),  Joab  (i  Kings  2.  28-34), 
and  Shimei  (i  Kings  2.  36-46).  Two  of  these  had  conspired 
against  him,  and  the  third  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  house 
of  Saul,  and  a  possible  rival  for  the  throne.  Their  death  was 
dictated  by  policy,  and  probably  by  justice.  His  throne 
would  not  be  secure  while  these  men  lived. 

3.  His  empire  embraced  all  the  lands  from  the  Red  Sea 
to  the  Euphrates,  and  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Syrian 
desert,  except  Phenicia,  which  was  isolated  by  the  Lebanon 
Mountains.  i.)  Besides  Palestine  he  ruled  over  Edom, 
Moab,  Amnion,  Syria  (here  referring  to  the  district  having 
Damascus  as  its  capital),  Zobah,  and  Hamath.  2.)  On  the 
Gulf  of  Akaba,  Ezion-geber  was  his  southern  port  (i  Kings 
9.  26) ;  on  the  Mediterranean,  Gaza  (Azzah)  was  his  limit ; 
in  the  extreme  north,  Tiphsah,  by  the  Euphrates  (i  Kings  4. 
24);  in  the  desert,  Tadmor,  afterward  Palmyra  (i  Kings  9.  18). 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         57 

4.  His  foreign  relations  were  extensive,  for  the  first  and 
onlv  time  in  the  history  of  Israel,  i.)  His  earliest  treaty  was 
7i'ith  Tyre  (Phenicia),  whose  king  had  been  his  father's  friend 
(i  Kings  5.  i).  What  this  alliance  brought  to  Solomon  (i 
Kings  5.  6—10  ;  2  Chron.  2.  3-14).  2.)  His  relations  iin'th 
Egypt ;  in  commerce  (r  Kings  10,  28,  29)  ;  in  marriage,  a 
l)old  departure  from  Israelite  customs  (i  Kings  3.  i).  Prob- 
ably Psalm  45  was  written  upon  this  event.  3.)  With  Arabia, 
the  land  bordering  on  the  southern  end  of  the  Red  Sea  (i 
Kings  10.  i-io,  14,  15).  4.)  With  India,  which  is  probably 
referred  to  in  i  Kings  9.  26-28.  5.)  With  Spain,  probably 
meant  in   i  Kings  10.  22. 

5.  His  buildings,  i.)  Of  these  the  greatest,  the  most 
costly,  and  the  most  famous  was  the  temple  (i  Kings  6.  i). 
With  this  building  notice  :  {a)  The  courts  and  open  square, 
with  an  inner  court  inside  for  the  priests  only  (2  Chron  4.  9). 
(^)  The  porch  (2  Chron  3.  4).  (^)  The  holy  place  (2  Chron. 
Ty.'i\  I  Kings  6.  17).  (^)  The  holy  of  holies  (i  Kings  6.  19, 
20).  (r)  The  chambers  for  the  priests  (i  Kings  6.  5,  6).  2.) 
His  own  palace^  situated  south  of  the  temple  precincts,  in  the 
district  called  Ophel.  Its  name  derived  from  its  columned 
entrance  (i  Kings  7.  r,  2).  3.)  His  fortified  cities  (i  Kings 
9.  17-19).  4.)  His  aqueducts,  some  of  which  may  still  be  seen 
(Eccl.  2.  4-6).  No  King  of  Israel  ever  built  so  many  public 
works  as  did  Solomon. 

6.  But  all  was  not  bright  in  the  reign  of  Solomon.  We 
must  notice  also  his  sins,  for  they  wrought  great  results  of 
evil  in  the  after  years,  i.)  That  which  led  to  all  his  other 
sins  was  \\'\?,  foreign  marriages  (i  Kings  11.  1-4).  These 
were  the  natural  and  inevitable  result  of  his  foreign  relations, 
and  were  probably  effected  for  ]-)olitical  reasons  as  well  as  to 
add  to  the  splendor  of  his  court.  2.)  \W<,  toleration  of  idol- 
atry, perhaps  actual  partici[)ation  in  it  (i  Kings  11.  5-8).  We 
cannot  over-estimate  the  harm  of  Solomon's  influence  in  this 
direction.     At   once    it   allied   him   with  the  lower   and   evil 

3*  . 


^  JUu  :  1  1933 


58        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

elements  in  the  nation,  and  lost  to  him  the  sympathy  of  all  the 
earnest  souls*  3.)  Another  of  Solomon's  sins,  not  named  in 
Scripture,  but  referred  to  in  many  legends  of  the  East,  was 
his  devotion  to  magical  arts.  He  appears  in  Oriental  traditions 
as  the  great  master  of  forces  in  the  invisible  world,  engaging 
in  practices  forbidden  by  the  law  of  Moses  (Lev.  19.  31; 
Deut.  18.  10,  11). 

II.  GENERAL  ASPECTS  OF  ISRAEL  IN  THE 
REIGN  OF  SOLOMON. 

1.  It  was  a  period  of  peace.  For  sixty  years  there 
were  no  wars.  This  gave  opportunity  for  development,  for 
wealth,  and  for  culture. 

2.  It  was  a  period  of  strong  government.  The  age  of 
individual  and  tribal  energy  was  ended,  and  now  all  the  life  of 
the  nation  was  gathered  around  the  throne.  All  the  tribes  were 
held  under  one  strong  hand  ;  tribal  lines  were  ignored  in  the 
government  of  the  empire  (i  Kings  4.  7-19);  every  depart- 
ment was  organized. 

3.  It  was  a  period  of  wide  empire.  It  was  Israel's  op- 
portunity for  power  in  the  East  ;  for  the  old  Chaldean  em- 
pire had  broken  up,  the  new  Assyrian  empire  had  not  arisen, 
and  Egypt  was  passing  through  a  change  of  rulers  and  was 
weak.  For  one  generation  Israel  held  the  supremacy  in  the 
Oriental  world. 

4.  It  was  a  period  of  abundant  wealth,  (i  Kings  3. 
12,  13;  4.  20  ;  10.  23,  27.)  The  sources  of  this  wealth  were: 
I.)  The  conquests  of  David,  who  had  plundered  many  na- 
tions and  left  his  accumulated  riches  to  Solomon  (i  Chron. 
22.  14-16).  2.)  The  tribute  of  the  subject  kingdoms,  doubt- 
less heavy  (i  Kings  10.  25).  3.)  Commerce  with  foreign 
countries,  Egypt,  Arabia,  Tarshish,  and  Ophir,  in  ancient 
times  was  not  carried  on  by  private  enterprise,  but  by  the 
government.     The  trade  of  the   East   from    Egypt  and  Tyre 

•  Notice  that  while  the  prophets  had  been  friendly   to  David,  they  were  strongly  op- 
posed to  Solomon,  and  gave  aid  to  liis  enemy  Jeroboam  (i  Kings  ii.  29-39). 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        59 

passed  through  Solomon's  dominions,  enriching  the  land. 
4.)  There  were  also  taxes  laid  upon  the  people  (i  Kings  4.  7  ; 
12.  4).  5.)  The  erection  of  public  buildings  must  have  en- 
riched many  private  citizens  and  made  money  ])lenty. 

5.  It  was  a  period  of  literary  activity.  The  hooks 
written  during  this  epoch  were  Samuel,  Psalms  (in  part), 
Proverbs  (in  part),  and  perhaps  Ecclesiastes  and  Solomon's 
Song.  Not  all  the  writings  of  Solomon  have  teen  preserved 
(i  Kings  4.  32,  2,:-^. 

III.  DANGERS  OF  THE  PERIOD.  There  was  an 
Arabian  tradition  that  in  Solomon's  staff,  on  which  he  leaned, 
there  was  a  worm  secretly  gnawing  it  asunder.  So  there  were 
elements  of  destruction  under  all  the  splendor  of  Solomon's 
throne. 

1.  The  absolute  power  of  the  king.  David  had  main- 
tained the  theocratic  constitution  of  the  state;  Solomon  set 
it  aside  and  ruled  with  absolute  power  in  all  departments.  He 
assumed  priestly  functions  (i  Kings  8.  22,  54,  64)  ;  he  abol- 
ished tribal  boundaries  in  his  administration  (i  Kings  4.  7— 
19)  ;  he  ignored  both  priests  and  prophets,  and  concentrated 
all  rule  in  his  own  person. 

2.  The  formal  character  of  the  worship.  There  was 
a  magnificent  temple  and  a  gorgeous  ritual,  but  none  of  the 
warmth  and  ])ersonal  devotion  which  cliaracterized  the  wor- 
ship of  David.  The  fervor  of  the  Davidic  psalms  is  wanting 
in  tlie  literature  of  Solomon's  age. 

3.  Luxury  and  corruption  of  morals.  These  are  the 
inevitable  results  of  abundant  riches  and  worldly  association. 
We  do  not  need  the  warnings  in  Prov.  2.  16—19;  5.  2r^i  ^tc.,  to 
know  that  a  flood  of  immorality  swept  overjerusalem  and  Israel. 

4.  The  burden  of  taxation.  With  a  splendid  court,  an 
immense  harem,  and  a  wealthy  nobility  came  high  ])rices  and 
higli  taxes  ;  the  rich  growing  richer  rapitlly,  the  poor  l)econi- 
ing  poorer.  The  events  of  the  next  reign  show  how  heavy 
and  unendurable  these  burdens  urew. 


6o        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

5.  Heathen  customs.  With  the  foreign  peoples  came 
the  toleration  of  idolatry,  its  encouragement,  and  all  the  abom- 
inations connected  with  it.  Jeroboam  could  not  have  estab- 
lished his  new  religion  (i  Kings  12.  28)  if  Solomon  had  not 
already  patronized  idol-worship. 

6.  Underlying  all  was  the  old  tribal  jealousy  of  Ephraim 
and  Judah,  fostered  by  an  able  leader  (i  Kings  11.  26),  ready 
to  break  out  in  due  time,  and  to  destroy  the  empire. 

After  all,  it  is  uncertain  wliether  the  reign  of  Solomon  was 
a  golden  or  only  a  gilded  age. 

Blackboard  Outline. 


I.   Rei.  Sol.      I.  CI.  ihr.     2.  Ace.     3.  Emp.  [Lands.  Cities] 

4.  For.  lel.      I.)  Ty.     2.)  Eg.     3.)  Ar.     4.)  Ind.    5.) 

Sp.      5.   Buil.      I.)    Tern.      2.)    Pal.       3.)  For.  cit. 

4.)  Aque.       6.  Sins.       i.)  For.  mar.       2.)  Tol.  idol. 

3.)  Mag. 

II.   Gen.    Asp.    Isr.       i.  Pea.     2.    Str.gov.       3.  Abun.weal. 

I.)  Conq.     2.)  Trib.     3.)  Com.     4.)  Tax.     5).    Pub. 

build.      5.  Lit.  act. 

III.   Dan.  Per.      i.  Abs.  pow.     2.  For.  wor.     3.   Lux.  cor.  mor. 

4.  Bur.  tax.     5.  Ilea.  cus.     6.  Tri.  jeal. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW. 

What  is  meant  by  the  Golden  Age  of  Israel? 

Who  was  Solomon  ? 

How  did  Solomon  obtain  the  throne  ? 

What  events  marked  his  accession  ? 

What  lands  were  included  in  his  empire  ? 

What  were  the  frontier  cities  of  the  empire  ? 

With  what  foreign  countries  did  Solomon  have  relations  ? 

What  resulted  from  his  alliance  with  Tyre  ? 

What  innovation  came  from  Egypt  ? 

Who  visited  Solomon  from  Arabia? 

What  were  the  early  names  of  Spain  and  India  ? 

What  four  classes  of  buildings  were  erected  by  Solomon  ? 

What  were  the  different  parts  of  his  temple  ? 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        6: 

What  was  the  name  given  to  Solomon's  palace  ? 

Name  some  of  the  cities  which  he  built  and  fortitied  ? 

What  other  public  works  did  he  build  ? 

What  three  kinds  of  sin  did  Solomon  commit? 

What  was  his  motive  in  seeking  foreign  marriages  ? 

Name  five  general  aspects  of  Israel  in  Solomon's  reign. 

What  were  the  benefits  of  the  peace  at  that  time  ? 

What  was  the  characteristic  of  Solomon's  administration  ? 

What  opportunity  did  the  age  give  to  a  great  empire  for  Israel  s 

What  were  the  sources  of  the  wealth  in  Solomon's  age? 

Mow  was  it  a  period  of  literary  activity? 

What  ancient  legend  illustrates  the  dangers  of  Solomon's  age? 

What  were  some  of  these  dangers  ? 

Wherein  did  Solomon  set  aside  the  Israelite  constitution  ? 

What  was  the  defect  in  the  religion  of  Solomon's  time? 

What  evils  resulted  from  the  wealth  of  that  time  ? 

What  caused  heavy  taxation  ? 

What  heathen  customs  were  introduced  ? 

What  showed  that  tribal  jealousy  was  still  existing  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

The  Character  ok  Solomon. 

Was  an  Empire  for  Israel  Desirable? 

The  Writings  of  Solomon. 

Tarshish  and  Ophir. 

The  Temple  of  Solomon. 

Solomon  in  Oriental  Legends. 


studies  in  old  testament  history.      63 
Sevknth    Study. 

THE  RIVAL  THRONES.— ISRAF:L. 

The  splendors  of  Solomon's  reign  passed  away  even  more 
suddenly  than  they  arose.  In  less  than  a  year  after  his  death 
his  empire  was  broken  up,  and  two  cpiarreling  principalities 
were  all  that  was  left  of  Israel. 

I.  Let  us  ascertain  the  CAUSES  OF  THE  DIVISION 
OF  ISRAEL.     These  were  : 

1.  The  oppressive  government  of  Solomon,  (i  Kings 
12.  3,  4.)  How  far  the  complaints  of  the  people  were  just, 
and  to  what  degree  they  were  the  pretexts  of  an  ambitious 
demagogue,  we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  But  it  is  evident 
that  the  government  of  Solomon,  with  its  court,  its  palaces, 
its  buildings,  and  its  splendor,  must  h!lve  borne  heavily  upon 
the  people.  Probably,  also,  the  luxury  of  living  among  the 
upper  classes,  so  suddenly  introduced,  led  to  financial  crises 
and  stringency  of  money,  for  which  the  government  was  held 
responsible  by  the  discontented  people. 

2.  The  opposition  of  the  prophets,  (i  Kings  n.  11-13, 
29-33.)  It  is  a  suggestive  fact  that  the  prophets  were  o\i- 
posed  to  Solomon  and  friendly  to  Jeroboam.  Their  reason 
was  a  strong  resentment  to  the  foreign  alliances,  foreign  cus- 
toms, and  especially  to  tlie  foreign  idolatries  which  Solomon 
introduced. 

3.  Foreign  intrigues,  especially  in  Egypt.  The  old 
kingdoms  were  not  friendly  to  this  Israelite  empire,  which 
loomed  up  so  suddenly,  and  threatened  to  conepier  all  the 
East.  Solomon's  attempt  to  win  the  favor  of  Egypt  by  a  royal 
marriage  (i  Kings  3.  i)  was  a  failure,  for  two  enemies  of  Sol- 
omon, driven  out  of  his  dominions,  found  refuge  in  Egypt, 
were  admitted  to  the  court,  married  relatives  of  the  king,  and 
stirred  up  conspiracies  against  Solomon's  throne  (i  Kings  11 
14-22,  40),     Another  center  of  conspiracy   was  Damascus, 


64        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

where  Rezon  kept  up  a  semi-independent  relation  to  Solo- 
mon's empire  (i  Kings  ii.  23-25). 

4.  Tribal  jealousy ;  the  old  sore  broken  out  again. 
Notice  that  Jeroboam  belonged  to  the  haughty  tribe  of  Ephra- 
im  (i  Kings  11.  26),  always  envious  of  Judah,  and  restless 
under  the  throne  of  David.  The  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes 
was  established  mainly  through  the  influence  of  this  tribe, 

5.  The  ambition  of  Jeroboam  was  another  force  in  the 
disruption.  It  was  unfortunate  for  Solomon's  kingdom  that 
the  ablest  young  man  of  that  time  in  Israel,  a  wily  political 
leader  and  an  unscrupulous  partisan,  belonged  to  the  tribe 
of  Ephraim,  and  from  his  environment  was  an  enemy  of  the 
then  existing  government.  The  fact  that  he  was  sent  for 
from  Egypt  to  the  assembly  at  Shechem  showed  collusion 
and  preparation  of  the  scheme  (i  Kings  12.  2,  3). 

6.  But  even  all  these  causes  might  have  been  insufficient 
but  for  the  folly  of  Rehoboam  (i  Kings  12.  13,  14).  If 
David  had  been  on  the  throne  that  day  an  empire  might  have 
been  saved.  But  Rehoboam,  brought  up  in  the  purple,  was 
without  sympathy  with  the  people,  tried  to  act  the  part  of  a 
tyrant,  and  lost  his  ancestral  realm  (i  Kings  12.  16). 

II.  THE  RESULTS  OF  THE  DIVISION.  These 
were  partly  political,  partly  religious,  and  were  neither  of  un- 
mixed good  nor  unmixed  evil. 

I.  The  political  results  were  :  i.)  The  entire  disruption 
of  Solomon's  emj^ire.  Five  kingdoms  took  the  place  of  one; 
Syria  on  the  north,  Israel  in  the  center,  Judah  west  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  Moab  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  Edom 
on  the  extreme  south.  Moab  was  nominally  subject  to 
Israel,  and  Edom  to  Judah  ;  but  only  strong  kings,  like 
Ahab  in  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat  in  Judah,  could  exact  the 
tribute  (2  Kings  3.  4 ;  i  Kings  22.  47).  2.)  With  the 
loss  of  empire  came  rivalry,  and  consequent  weakness.  For 
fifty  years  Israel  and  Judah  were  at  war,  and  spent  their 
strength  in   civil  strife,  while   Syria  was   growing  powerful, 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        65 

and  afar  in  the  north-east  Assyria  was  threatening.  3.)  As 
a  natural  result  came  at  \di?>\.  foreign  domination.  Both  Israel 
and  Judah  fell  under  the  power  of  other  nations,  and  were 
swept  into  captivity  as  the  final  result  of  the  disruption 
wrought  by  Jeroboam. 

2.  The  religious  results  of  the  division  were  more  favor- 
able. They  were:  i.)  Preservation  of  the  true  religion.  A 
great  empire  would  inevitably  have  been  the  spiritual  ruin  of 
Israel,  for  it  must  have  been  worldly,  secular,  and,  in  the  end, 
idolatrous.  The  disruption  broke  off  relation  with  the  world, 
put  an  end  to  schemes  of  secular  empire,  and  placed  Israel 
and  Judah  once  more  alone  among  their  mountains.  In  this 
sense  the  event  was  from  the  Lord,  who  had  higher  and  more 
enduring  purposes  than  an  earthly  empire  (i  Kings  12.  15-24). 
2?)  Protection  of  the  true  religion.  Israel  on  the  north  stood 
as  a  "buffer,"  warding  off  the  world  from  Judah  on  the  south. 
It  was  neither  wholly  idolatrous  nor  wholly  religious,  but 
was  a  debatable  land  for  centuries.  It  fell  at  last,  but  it  saved 
Judah  ;  and  in  Judah  was  the  unconscious  hope  of  the  world. 
3.)  Concentration  of  the  true  religion.  The  departure  of  Israel 
from  the  true  faith  led  to  the  gathering  of  the  priests,  Levites, 
and  worshiping  element  of  the  people  in  Judah  (2  Chron.  11. 
13-16).  Thus  the  Jewish  kingdom  was  far  more  devoted  to 
Jehovah  than  it  might  otherwise  have  been. 

III.  THE  KliSTGDOM  OF  ISRAEL.  From  the 
division  the  name  Israel  was  api)lied  to  the  northern  king- 
dom and  Judah  to  the  southern.  We  notice  the  general 
aspects  of  Israel  during  its  history,  from  B.  C.  975  to  721. 

1.  Its  extent.  It  embraced  all  the  territory  of  the  twelve 
tribes  except  Judah  and  a  part  of  Benjamin  (i  Kings  12. 
19-21),  held  a  nominal  supremacy  over  Moab  east  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  and  embraced  about  9,375  square  miles,  while 
Judah  included  only  3,435.  Israel  was  about  equal  in  area 
to  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island  together, 

2.  Its  capital  was  at   first   Shechem,  in  the  center  of  the 


66        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

land  (i  Kings  12.  25)  ;  then,  during  several  reigns,  at  Tirzah 
(i  Kings  15.  2i2>\  ^^-  23)  *,  then  at  Samaria  (i  Kings  16.  24), 
where  it  remained  until  the  end  of  the  kingdom.  That  city 
after  a  time  gave  its  name  to  the  kingdom  (i  Kings  21.  i), 
and  after  the  fall  of  the  kingdom  to  the  province  in  the  center 
of  Palestine  (John  4.  3,  4). 

3.  Its  religion,  i.)  Very  soon  after  the  institution  of  the 
new  kingdom  Jeroboam  established  a  national  religion,  the 
worship  of  the  calves  (i  Kings  12.  26-33).  This  was  not  a 
new  form  of  worship,  but  had  been  maintained  in  Israel  ever 
since  the  Exodus  (Exod.  32.  1-4).  In  character  it  was  a 
modified  idolatry,  half-way  between  the  pure  religion  and  the 
abominations  of  the  heathen.  2.)  Ahab  and  his  house  intro- 
duced the  Phenician  zvorship  of  Baal,  an  idolatry  of  the  most 
abominable  and  immoral  sort  (i  Kings  16.  30-33),  but  it  never 
gained  control  in  Israel,  and  was  doubtless  one  cause  of 
the  revolution  which  placed  another  family  on  the  throne. 
3.)  Through  the  history  of  Israel  there  remained  a  remnant 
of  worshipers  of  Jehovah,  who  were  watched  over  by  a  noble 
array  of  prophets,  and  though  often  persecuted  remained 
faithful  (i  Kings  19.  14,  18). 

4.  Its  rulers.  During  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  Israel 
was  governed  by  nineteen  kings,  with  intervals  of  anarchy. 
Five  houses  in  turn  held  sway,  each  established  by  a  usurper, 
generally  a  soldier,  and  each  dynasty  ending  in  a  murder. 

I.)  The  House  of  Jeroboam  (B.  C.  974  to  953),  with  two 
kings,  followed  by  a  general  massacre  of  Jeroboam's  family 
(i  Kings  15.  29,  30). 

2.)  The  House  of  Baasha  (B.  C.  953-929),  two  kings,  fol- 
lowed by  a  civil  war  (i  Kings  16.  16-22). 

3.)  The  House  of  Omri  (B.  C.  929-884),  four  kings,  of  whom 
Omri  and  Ahab  were  the  most  powerful.  This  was  the  age 
of  the  prophet  Elijah  and  the  great  struggle  between  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah  and  of  Baal  (1  Kings  18.  4-21). 

4.)  The  House  of  Jehu  (B.  C.  884-772),  five  kings,  under 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         67 

whom  were  great  changes  of  fortune.  The  reign  of  Jehoahn.; 
saw  Israel  reduced  to  a  mere  province  of  Syria  (2  Kings  13. 
1-9).  His  son  Joash  threw  off  the  Syrian  yoke,  and  his  son, 
Jeroboam  II.,  raised  Israel  ahnost  to  its  condition  of  empire 
in  the  days  of  Solomon  (2  Kings  14.  23-29).  His  reign  is 
called  "  the  Indian  summer  of  Israel." 

5.)  The  House  of  Menahe7n  (B.  C.  772-759),  two  reigns.  Is- 
rael had  l)y  this  time  fallen  under  the  power  of  Assyria,  now 
dominant  over  the  East,  and  its  history  is  the  story  of  kings 
rising  and  falling  in  rapid  succession,  with  long  intervals  of 
anarchy.  From  the  fall  of  this  dynasty  there  was  only  the 
semblance  of  a  state  until  the  final  destruction  of  Samaria, 
B.  C.  721. 

5.  Its  foreign  relations.  During  the  period  of  the  Isra- 
elite kingdom  we  see  lands  struggling  for  the  dominion  of  the 
East.  The  history  of  Israel  is  interwoven  with  that  of  Syria 
and  Assyria,  which  may  now  be  read  from  the  monuments. 

I.)  There  was  2l  Period  of  Division  (B.  C.  975-929).  During 
the  reign  of  the  houses  of  Jeroboam  and  Baasha  there  were 
constant  wars  between  Israel,  Syria,  and  Judah  ;  and  as  a  re- 
sult all  were  kept  weak,  and  "a  balance  of  power  "  was  main- 
tained. 

2.)  Then  followed  a  Period  of  Alliance  (B.  C.  929-884) — 
that  is,  between  Israel  and  Judah,  during  the  sway  of  the 
House  of  Omri.  The  two  lands  were  in  friendly  relations, 
and  the  two  thrones  were  connected  by  marriages.  As 
a  result  both  Israel  and  Judah  were  strong,  Moab  and 
Edom  were  kept  under  control,  and  Syria  was  held  in  check. 

3.)  Next  came  the  Period  of  Syrian  Ascendency  (B.  C. 
884-840).  During  the  first  two  reigns  of  the  House  of  Jehu 
Syria  rose  to  great  power  under  Hazael,  and  overran  both 
Israel  and  Judah.  At  one  time  Israel  was  in  danger  of  utter 
destruction,  but  was  preserved.  Near  tlie  close  of  these  peri- 
ods tlie  dying  prophecy  of  Elisha  was  uttered  (2  Kings  13. 
14-25). 


68         STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

4.)  The  Period  of  Israelite  Ascendency  {^.  Q.  ^\o-11 2).  Is- 
rael under  Jeroboam  II.  took  its  turn  of  power,  and  for  a 
brief  period  was  again  dominant  to  the  Euphrates,  as  in  the 
days  of  Solomon. 

5.)  The  Period  of  Assyrian  Ascendency  (B.  C.  772-721).  But 
its  glory  soon  faded  away  before  that  of  Assyria,  which  was 
now  rapidly  becoming  the  empire  of  the  East.  Its  rise  meant 
the  fall  of  Israel ;  and  under  the  unfortunate  Hoshea  Sama- 
ria was  taken,  what  was  left  of  the  ten  tribes  were  carried 
captive,  and  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was  extinguished  (2  Kings 
17.  1-6). 

IV.  THE  FATE  OF  THE  TEN  TRIBES.  There 
has  been  much  idle  discussion  over  this  subject  and  some 
absurd  claims  set  up ;  for  example,  that  the  Anglo-Saxon  race 
are  descended  from  the  ten  lost  tribes — a  statement  opposed  to 
all  history,  to  ethnology,  and  to  every  evidence  of  language. 

1.  After  their  deposition  nearly  all  the  Israelites,  having 
lost  their  national  religion  and  having  no  bond  of  union, 
mingled  with  the  Gentiles  around  them  and  lost  their 
identity,  just  as  hundreds  of  other  races  have  done.  The 
only  bond  which  will  keep  a  nation  long  alive  is  that  of 
religion. 

2.  Some  remained  in  Palestine,  others  returned  thither  and 

formed  the  nucleus  of  the  Samaritan  people,  a  race  of 
mingled  origin  (2  Kings  17.  24-29). 

3.  Some  of  those  who  remained  in  the  East  retained  their 
religion,  or  were  revived  in  it,  and  later  became  a  part  of  the 
Jews  of  the  dispersion ;  though  "  the  dispersion  "  was 
mainly  Jewish,  and  not  Israelite. 

4.  A  few  families  united  with  the  Jews  returned  with 
them  to  Palestine  after  the  exile,  yet  retained  their  tribal 
relationship;  for  example,  Anna  (Luke  2.  ^(i). 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        69 


Blackboard  Outline. 


I. 

Cau. 

Div.       I.  0pp.   gov.       2.  Opo.  pro.      3. 
4.   Tri.  jeal.     5.   .\in.  Jer.     6.  Fol.  Re. 

For.    inl. 

II. 

Res. 

Div.       I.   Pol.    res.       i.)   Dis.  emp.       2.) 
weak.     3.)  For.  dom. 

Riv.    and 

2.   Rel.    res.       i.)   Pres.     rel.       2.) 

Pro.     rel. 

3.)  Cone.  rel. 

III. 

Kin. 

Isr.      I.   Ext.  9,375.   2.  Cap.     i.)Sh.  2.)Tii 

.    3.)  Sam. 

3.    Rel.      I.)  Wor.  cal.      2.)  Wor.  Ba. 

3.)  Wor. 

Jeh. 

4.   Rul.      r.)  Hon.  Jer.     2.)  IIou.  P.a. 

3.)  IIou. 

Om.     4.)  Hon.  Je.      5.)  Hon.  Men. 

5.    For.   Rel.       i.)  Per.  Div.     2.)  Pei 

•  All.     3-) 

Per.  Syr.  Asc.     4.)  Per.  Isr.  Ar.c.     5.)  Per 

Ass.  Asc. 

IV. 

Fat. 

Ten.   Tri.     i.  Min.  Gen.     2.   .Sam.  peo. 
4.  Jews. 

3.  Disp. 

+ — 

, 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW. 

What  causes  may  be  assigned  for  the  division  of  Israel  ?  How  far  was 
Solomon's  government  responsible  ?  What  was  the  relation  of  the  proph- 
ets to  the  revolution  ?  What  foreign  intrigues  contributed  to  break  up  the 
kingdom?  Who  were  connected  with  these  intrigues?  What  ancient 
jealousy  aided,  and  how?  What  man  led  in  the  breaking  up  of  the  king- 
dom ?     Whose  folly  enabled  the  plot  to  succeed  ? 

What  were  the  political  results  of  the  division?  What  were  its  religious 
results  ?     How  was  this  event  from  the  Ford  ? 

How  long  did  the  new  kingdom  of  Israel  last  ?  What  was  its  extent  ? 
What  were  its  three  successive  capitals  ?  What  three  forms  of  religion 
were  found  in  it  ?  WHio  was  the  first  king  of  the  ten  tribes  ?  What  family 
introduced  foreign  idolatry  ?  How  many  kings  ruled  over  the  ten  tribes  ? 
What  were  the  five  royal  houses  ?  Which  house  raised  Israel  almost  to 
its  ancient  power  ?  What  is  this  period  of  prosperity  called  ?  Who  was 
the  greatest  King  of  Israel  ?  With  what  other  history  is  that  of  Israel  in- 
terwoven ?  What  were  the  five  periods  in  the  foreign  relations  of  Israel  ? 
By  what  kingdom  was  Israel  destroyed  ?  Who  was  its  last  king  ?  What 
finally  became  of  the  ten  tribes  ? 


70        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


CHART  OF  THE  KINGS  OF  ISRAEL, 

From  the  Division  of  the  Kingdom  to  the  CArTinxT 
Topether  with  the  Contemporaneous  pbophets  and  kings  of  judad 


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t  DfJ  right  In  the  »lj,-Jit  of  the  Lord 
i      Vlceioy    wllh    hl8    father 


Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

The  History  and  Traits  of  the  Tribe  of  Ephraim. 

Shechem,  and  Events  connected  with  it. 

The  Religion  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 

Queen  Jezebel  and  her  Influence. 

The  Mission  of  Elijah. 

Elisha  and  his  Influence. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


7i 


E^IGHTH    STUDY. 

THE  RIVAL  THRONES— JUDAH. 

I.  GENERAL  ASPECTS  OF  THE  KINGDOM 
OF  JUDAH. 

I.   Its  territory.      It  embraced   the   mountain   portion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Philistine  plain  ; 


\ir  Kamah 

npibeon.^    o  ;^  Jericho  o 

•^t  <-  Glbeah; 

't^oKirjatU  y'^:  j_: 
,^.-Jear,lm  0 JERUSALEM  V" 
;#'•  I-  .tS"  .  ,  fe 

%        '#  '"i--        -      S; 

RetUleUeiiKx'     ••'"■^><;?i#^c 


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1    ;4)s»..  -^-^         s-",..~.    e     ;■   i 
Carm^V  — '^.r'^lC 


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JUD 


■*:WiliferneHS'6f  Paran 


a  part  of  Benjamin,  in  which  tribe  the  larger  part  of  Jerusa- 
lem stood;  and  also  a  part  of  Dan  (2  Chron.  ir.  10).  Simeon 
was  nominally  within  its  border,  but  was  practically  given  up 
to  the  Arabians  of  the  desert ;  Edom  was  tributary,  though 
often  in  rebellion,  and  finally  indeijendent  (i  Kings  22.  47  ; 
2  Kings  8.  20);  Philistia  was  outside  of  its  boundary.  Its 
extent  was  about  3,435  square  miles,  about  half  the  area  of 
Massachusetts. 

2.   Its  government  was  a  monarchy,  with  but  one  family 
on  the  throne,  the  line  of   David,  in  direct  succession,  with 


72        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

the  exception  of  Athaliah's  usurpation  (2  Kings  11.  1-3), 
through  nineteen  reigns. 

3.  Its  religion.  Through  all  the  history  we  find  two 
forms  of  worship  strongly  opposed  to  each  other,  yet  both 
rooted  in  the  nation,  i.)  The  worship  of  Jehovah  through 
the  temple,  the  priesthood,  and  the  prophets.  2.)  But  side 
by  side  with  this  pure  religion  was  the  worship  of  idols  upon 
"  high  places,"  probably  begun  as  a  form  of  worshiping 
Jehovah,  but  degenerating  into  gross  and  immoral  idolatry. 
Tliere  was  a  struggle  going  on  constantly  between  these  two 
elements  in  the  state,  the  spiritual  and  the  material.  Notwith- 
standing the  efforts  of  reforming  kings  like  Jehoshaphat, 
Hezekiah,  and  Josiah,  the  general  tendency  was  downward. 

II.  THE  DURATION  OF  THE  KINGDOM.  The 
kingdom  lasted  from  B.  C.  975  to  587 — more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years  longer  than  Israel.  Reasons  for  its 
endurance  may  have  been  : 

1.  Its  retired  situation:  hemmed  in  by  mountains  and 
deserts  ;  at  a  distance  from  the  ordinary  lines  of  travel  ;  not 
in  the  direct  path  of  conquest  from  any  other  nation.  Judah 
had  few  foreign  wars  as  compared  with  Israel. 

2.  The  unity  of  its  people.  They  were  not  ten  tribes 
loosely  connected,  but  one  tribe,  with  a  passionate  love  of  their 
nation  and  a  pride  in  their  blood. 

3.  Its  concentration  at  Jerusalem.  Through  all  its 
history  there  was  but  one  capital,  where  the  palace  of  the 
king  and  the  temple  of  the  Lord  were  standing  together. 

4.  The  reverence  for  the  House  of  David  also  kept 
the  people  together.  There  was  no  change  in  dynasty,  and 
the  loyalty  of  the  people  grew  stronger  through  the  genera- 
tions toward  the  family  on  the  throne.  There  being  no  usurp- 
ers, the  throne  was  permanent  until  destroyed  by  foreign 
power. 

5.  The  purity  of  its  religion  tended  to  keep  the  nation 
united,  and  to  keep  it  in  existence.     No  bond  of  self-interest 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        73 

or  of  blood  will  hold  a  people  together  as  strongly  as  the  tie 
of  religion.  Judah's  strength  was  in  the  measure  of  her 
service  of  God,  and  when  she  renounced  Jehovah  her  doom 
came  speedily. 

III.  PERIODS  IN  THE  HISTORY.  Though  Judah 
was  not  without  political  contact  with  other  nations,  yet  its 
history  is  the  record  of  internal  events  rather  than  external 
relations.     We  may  divide  its  history  into  four  epochs: 

1.  The  first  decline  and  revival.  (B.  C.  975-889.) 
X.)  The  reigns  of  Rehoboam  and  Abijah  marked  a  decline 
indicated  by  the  Egyptian  invasion  and  the  growth  of  idolatry. 
2.)  The  reign  of  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat  showed  a  revival  in 
reformation,  progress,  and  power.  Under  Jehoshaphat  Judah 
was  at  the  height  of  prosperity.  This  was  the  time  of  peace 
with  Israel,  and  of  strength  at  home  and  abroad  (2  Chron. 
17.  5  ;  20.  30). 

2.  The  second  decline  and  revival.  (B.  C.  889-682,) 
I.)  For  nearly  two  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  Jehosha- 
phat the  course  of  Judah  was  downward.  Edom  was  lost 
under  J_elioram  (2  Chron.  21.  8);  the  Baalite  idolatry  was  in- 
troduced by  tlie  usurping  queen,  Athaliah  (2  Kings  11.  18); 
the  land  was  again  and  again  invaded  under  Joash  and  Ama- 
ziah,  and  Jerusalem  itself  was  taken  and  plundered.  2.)  But 
a  great  reformation  was  wrought  under  Hezekiah,  who  was 
the  best  and  wisest  of  the  kings  of  Judah,  and  the  kingdom 
again  rose  to  power,  even  daring  to  throw  off  the  Assyrian 
yoke  and  defy  the  anger  of  the  mightiest  king  then  on  the 
earth.  At  this  time  came  the  great  event  of  the  destruction 
of  the  Assyrian  host  (2  Kings  19.  30). 

3.  The  third  decline  and  revival.  (B.  C.  682-610.) 
I.)  The  reforms  of  Hezekiah  were  short  lived,  for  his  son 
Manasseh  was  both  the  longest  in  reigning  and  the  wickedest 
of  the  kings,  and  his  late  repentance  did  not  stay  the  tide 
of  corruption  which  he  had  let  loose  (2  Kings  21.  10-17;  2 
Chron.  33.  1-18).     The  wickedness  of  Manasseh's  reign  was 


74 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


the  great  moral  cause  of  the  kingdom's  destruction,  for  from 
it  no  reform  afterward  could  lift  the  mass  of  the  people.  2.) 
Josiah,  the  young  reformer,  attempted  the  task,  but  his  efforts, 
though  earnest,  were  only  measurably  successful,  and  after 
his  untimely  death  the  kingdom  hastened  to  its  fall  (2  Kings 
23.  29). 

4.  The  final  decline  and  fall.  (B.  C.  610-587.)  i.)  The 
political  cause  of  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  was  the 
rise  of  Babylon.  The  old  Assyrian  empire  went  down  about 
625  B.  C,  and  a  struggle  follow^ed  between  Babylon  and 
Egypt  for  the  supremacy.  Judah  took  the  side  of  Egypt, 
which  proved  to  be  the  losing  side.  2.)  After  several  chastise- 
ments and  repeated  rebellions  Jerusalem  was  finally  destroyed 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  King  of  Babylon,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Judah  was  extinguished,  B.  C.  587. 


Blackboard  Outline. 

4> 

I.   Gen.  Asp.  Kin.  Jud.     i.  Terr.  Tri.  Jud.  3,435  m.    2. 

Gov. 

mon.     3.   Rel.     i.)  Jeh.     2.)  Idol. 

II.   Dur.    Kin. 

I.    Ret.   sit.     2.    Un.   peo.       3.    Cone. 
.4.   Rev.  Ho.  Dav.     5.  Pur.  rel. 

Jer. 

III.   Per.  Hist. 

I.   Fir.    dec.    rev.      i.)  Dec.   Reho.  Abi. 
Rev.  As.  Jehosh. 

2.) 

2.  Sec   dec.  rev.      i.)  Dec.  200  y.      2.) 

Rev. 

Hez. 

3.   Thi.  dec.  rev.      i.)   Dec.    Man.     2.) 

Rev. 

Jos. 

4.    Fin.   dec.    fal.       i.)  Ris.   Bab.      2.) 

Des. 

4. 

Jer. 

• 

H 

QUESTIONS  FOR   REVIEW. 
What  was  embraced  in  the  kingdom  of  Judah  ? 
What  was  its  area  ? 
How  was  it  governed  ? 
What  was  its  religion  ? 

What  was  associated  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah  ? 
What  was  the  religious  tendency  of  the  people  ? 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.         75 

How  long  did  the  kingdom  of  Judah  last  ? 

What  were  the  causes  of  this  duration  ? 

What  were  the  periods  in  its  history  ? 

Under  what  kings  was  the  first  decline? 

Who  led  in  a  revival  and  reformation  ? 

Who  was  the  greatest  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ? 

What  took  place  during  the  second  decline? 

Who  was  the  usurping  queen  ? 

What  did  this  queen  try  to  do  ? 

Who  wrought  the  second  great  reformation  ? 

What  was  the  character  of  this  king? 

What  great  destruction  of  Judali's  enemies  took  place  at  this  time? 

W'hich  reign  was  both  longest,  wickedest,  and  most  evil  in  its  results  > 

Who  attempted  a  third  reformation  ? 

What  was  the  result  of  his  endeavor? 

W'hat  was  the  political  cause  of  the  fall  of  Judah  ? 

By  what  nation  and  by  what  king  was  Jerusalem  finally  destroyed  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

History  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah. 

The  House  of  David. 

The  Religion  of  Judah. 

The  Prophets  of  Judah. 

Ancient  Jerusalem. 

The  Kingdom  ok  Jl^dah  in  Relation  to  Ecyi-t  and  Assyria 


studies  in  old  testament  history.      77 
Ninth    Study. 

THE  CAPTIVITY  OP^  JUDAH. 

I.  We  must  distinguish  between  the  CAPTIVITY  OF 
ISRAEL,  or  the  ten  tribes,  and  THAT  OF  JUDAH. 

1.  The  captivity  of  Israel  took  place  B.  C.  72  i,  that  of  Ju- 
dah  B.  C.  587.  The  southern  kingdom  lasted  one  hundred 
and  thirty-four  years  longer  than  the  northern. 

2.  Israel  was  taken  captive  by  the  Assyrians  under  Sargon  ; 
Judah  by  the  Chaldeans  under  Nebuchadnezzar. 

3.  Israel  was  taken  to  the  lands  south  of  the  Caspian  Sea 
(3  Kings  17.  6);  Judah  to  Chaldea,  by  the  river  Euphrates 
(Psa.  137.  i). 

4.  Israel  never  returned  from  its  captivity,  which  was  the 
end  of  its  history  ;  but  Judah  was  brought  back  from  its 
captivity  and  again  became  a  flourishing  state,  though  subject 
to  foreign  nations  during  most  of  its  after  history. 

II.  There  were  THREE  CAPTIVITIES  of  Judah, 
all  in  one  generation  and  all  under  one  Chaldean  king,  Neb- 
uchadnezzar : 

I.  Jehoiakim's  captivity.  (B.  C.  607.)  Jehoiakim  was 
the  son  of  Josiah,  placed  upon  the  throne  after  the  battle  of 
Megiddo,  in  which  Josiah  perished  (2  Kings  23.  34).  In  the 
war  between  Pharaoh-nechoh  of  Egypt  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
(then  joint  king  of  Babylon  with  his  father  Nabopolassar) 
Jehoiakim,  as  a  vassal  of  Nechoh,  aided  the  Egyptians.  After 
the  defeat  of  Nechoh,  Nebuchadnezzar  marched  to  punish  Je- 
hoiakim. He  was  called  away  from  the  seige  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  death  of  his  father  and  the  necessity  of  hastening  to 
Babylon  to  assume  the  government.  Jehoiakim  was  spared, 
but  a  number  of  the  nobles  of  Judah  were  taken  to  Babylon, 
perhaps  as  hostages  for  the  king's  good  conduct.  For  three 
years  Jehoiakim  obeyed  Nebuchadnezzar  ;  then  he  rebelled, 
but    was   speedily  reduced   to   subjection,  and    many  of   the 


78        STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMkNT  HISTORY. 

leading  people  among  the  Jews  were  carried  captive  to  Bab- 
ylon (2  Kings  24.  I,  2).  Among  these  captives  was  Daniel 
the  prophet  (Dan.  i.  1-6).  From  this  event  the  seventy  years 
of  the  captivity  were  dated  (Jer.  27.  22  ;  29.  10),  though  the 
kingdom  of  Judah  remained  for  twenty  years  longer.  Jehoi- 
akim,  the  king,  was  not  taken  away,  though  bound  in  chains 
for  that  purpose  (2  Chron.  36.  6)  ;  he  reigned  several  years 
after  this  event,  but  under  suspicion  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  his 
end  was  ignoble  (Jer.  22.  18,  19  ;  36.  30). 

2.  Jehoiachin's  captivity.  (B.  C.  598.)  Jehoiachin 
was  the  son  of  Jehoiakim  (called  Jeconiah,  i  Chron  3.  16  ; 
Jer.  24.  i;  and  Coniah,  Jer.  22.  24).  He  reigned  only  three 
months,  and  was  then  deposed  by  Nebuchadnezzar  and  car- 
ried to  Babylon.  With  the  young  king  and  the  royal  family 
were  taken  thousands  of  the  people  of.  the  middle  classes, 
whom  the  land  could  ill  spare  (2  Kings  24.  8-16).  Among 
these  captives  was  Ezekiel,  the  prophet-priest  (Ezek.  i.  1-3). 

3.  Zedekiah's  captivity.  (B.  C.  587.)  He  was  the 
uncle  of  Jehoiachin,  and  the  son  of  the  good  Josiah  (2  Kings 
24.  17),  and  had  been  made  king  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  But 
he  too  rebelled  against  his  master,  to  whom  he  had  taken  a 
solemn  oath  of  fidelity  (2  Chron.  36.  13).  The  Chaldeans 
were  greatly  incensed  by  these  frequent  insurrections,  and  de- 
termined upon  a  final  destruction  of  the  rebellious  city.  After 
along  siege  Jerusalem  was  taken,  and  the  king  was  captured 
while  attempting  flight.  He  was  blinded  and  carried  away 
to  Babylon,  the  city  was  destroyed,  and  nearly  all  the  people 
left  alive  were  also  taken  to  the  land  of  Chaldea  (2  Kings  25. 
i-ii).  After  this  captivity  the  city  lay  desolate  for  fifty 
years,  until  the  conquest  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus  (B.  C.  536). 

ni.  Let  us  ascertain  the  CAUSES  OF  THE  CAP- 
TIVITY ;  why  the  Jews  were  taken  up  bodily  from  their 
own  land  and  deported  to  a  distant  country. 

I.  Such  deportations  were  a  frequent  policy  of  Oriental 
conquerors.     The  Orientals  had  three  ways  of  dealing  with 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        79 

a  conquered  people  :  that  of  extermination  or  wholesale 
butchery,  which  is  frequently  described  upon  the  Assyrian 
monuments  ;  that  of  leaving  them  in  the  land  under  tribute, 
as  subjects  of  the  conqueror  ;  and  that  of  deporting  them  en 
masse  io  a  distant  land.  Frequently,  when  the  interests  of  the 
empire  would  be  served  by  changing  the  population  of  a  prov- 
ince, this  plan  was  carried  out.  Thus  the  ten  tribes  were  car- 
ried to  a  land  near  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  other  people  were 
brought  to  Samaria  in  their  place  (2  Kings  17.  6,  24).  A 
similar  plan  with  respect  to  Judah  was  proposed  by  Sen- 
nacherib  (2  Kings  18.  31,  32),  but  was  thwarted  by  the  de- 
struction of  the  Assyrian  host. 

2.  We  have  already  noticed  another  cause  of  the  captivity 
in  the  frequent  rebellions  of  the  kings  of  Judah  against 
the  authority  of  Babylon.  The  old  spirit  of  independence, 
which  had  made  Judah  the  leader  of  the  twelve  tribes,  was 
still  strong,  and  it  was  fostered  by  the  hope  of  universal  rule> 
which  had  been  predicted  through  centuries,  even  while  the 
kingdom  was  declining.  The  prophets,  however,  favored 
submission  to  Babylon  ;  but  the  nobles  urged  rebellion  and 
independence.  Their  policy  was  pursued,  and  the  unequal 
strife  was  taken  up  more  tJian  once.  The  rebellions  always 
failed  ;  but  after  several  attempts  the  patience  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  exhausted,  and  the  destruction  of  the  rebellious 
city  and  the  deportation  of  the  population  was  ordered. 

3.  But  underneath  was  another  and  a  deeper  cause — in  the 
rivalry  of  Egypt  and  Babylon.  Whenever  in  history  one 
nation  has  been  dominant  there  has  been  another  nation, 
next  in  strength,  as  its  rival  to  check  its  supremacy.  Thus 
Greece  stood  in  the  way  of  Persia,  Carthage  in  the  way  of  re- 
publican Rome,  and  Parthia  in  the  way  of  imperial  Rome.  In 
the  earlier  days  Assyria  (and  after  Assyria  Babylon)  was  the 
controlling  power  in  the  East  ;  but  it  was  always  opposed  by 
Egypt,  which,  though  less  powerful,  was  yet  strong  enough  to 
be  dangerous  to  Assyrian  or  Chaldean  sui)remacy.     Palestine 


8o        STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

stood  on  the  border  of  the  Assyrian  Empire  toward  Egypt  ; 
and  in  Palestine  there  were  two  parties,  the  Assyrian  and  the 
Egyptian  ;  one  counseling  submission  to  Assyria,  the  other 
seeking  alliance  with  Egypt  against  Assyria  (Isa.  31.  1-3;  37. 
6).  After  Babylon  took  the  place  of  Nineveh  the  Chaldean 
party  took  the  place  of  the  Assyrian,  as  the  Chaldean  Em- 
pire was  the  successor  of  the  Assyrian  Empire.  The  prophets, 
led  by  Jeremiah,  always  counseled  submission  to  Babylon,  and 
warned  against  trusting  to  Egypt,  which  had  never  given  any 
thing  more  than  promises ;  but  the  nobles  were  of  the  Egyp- 
tian party,  and  constantly  influenced  the  kings  to  renounce 
the  yoke  of  Babylon,  and  to  strike  for  independence  by  the 
aid  of  Egypt.  Under  Egyptian  influence  the  later  kings  of 
Judah  made  attempt  after  attempt  to  rebel  against  the  Chal- 
dean Empire.  But  the  expected  help  from  Egypt  never  came, 
and  Judah  was  left  again  and  again  to  suffer  the  wrath  of 
Babylon  (Jer.  37.  5-9).  The  necessity  of  making  the  frontier 
of  the  Chaldean  Empire  safe  on  the  side  toward  Egypt  was 
the  political  cause  for  the  deportation  of  the  tribe  of  Judah. 
Nebuchadnezzar  dared  not  to  leave  a  people  on  the  soil  who 
would  constantly  endanger  the  entrance  to  his  dominions  by 
plotting  with  the  Egyptians.  Haitherefore  took  up  the  Jews 
bodily,  placed  them  in  the  center  of  his  empire,  and  turned 
the  land  of  Judah  into  a  desolation. 

4.  There  was  underlying  all  these  political  reasons  a  moral 
cause  in  the  divine  purpose  to  discipline  the  nation. 
The  captivity  was  a  weeding-out  process,  to  separate  the 
precious  from  the  vile,  the  false  from  the  true,  the  "  rem- 
nant "  from  the  mass.  There  had  always  been  two  distinct 
elements  in  Israel  and  Judah — the  spiritual.  God-fearing  few, 
and  the  worldly,  idol-worshiping  many.  The  worldly  and 
irreligious  took  part  in  the  resistance  to  the  King  of  Babylon; 
and  the  worshipers  of  Jehovah,  led  by  the  prophets,  urged 
submission.  As  a  result,  the  nobles  and  the  warriors,  for  the 
most  part,  perished  ;  while  the  better  part,  the  strength  and 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        8i 

ope  of  the  nation,  were  carried  away  captive.  Notice  that 
the  captives  were  mainly  of  the  middle  class,  the  working  el- 
ement (2  Kings  24.  14-16).  Those  who  had  submitted  to  the 
Chald"ans  were  also  taken  away  (2  Kings  25.  11).  The 
prophet  expressed  greater  hojje  for  those  taken  away  than  for 
those  left  behind  (Jer.  24.  i-io).  The  captives  were  the  root 
of  Judah,  out  of  which  in  due  time  a  new  nation  should  rise. 
IV.  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  CAPTIVES 
IN  CHALDEA  was  far  l)etter  than  we  are  apt  to  suppose. 

1.  They  received  kind  treatment;  were  regarded  not  as 
slaves  or  prisoners,  but  as  colonists.  At  a  later  captivity  by 
the  Romans  the  Jews  were  sold  as  slaves  and  dispersed 
throughout  the  empire.  Such  wholesale  enslavement  was 
common  after  a  conquest.  For  some  reason  the  Chaldeans 
did  not  enslave  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  their  conquest,  but 
colonized  them  as  free  people.  This  may  have  been  because 
the  captives  as  a  class  were  of  the  "  Chaldean  party  "  among 
the  Jews,  and  hence  were  treated  in  a  measure  as  friends. 
The  letter  of  Jeremiah  to  the  exiles  (Jer.  29.  1-7)  shows  that 
they  were  kindly  dealt  with  in  Chaldea.  Some  of  them  were 
received  at  the  court  and  rose  to  high  station  in  the  realm 
(Dan.  I.  1-6). 

2.  Their  organization  was  maintained.  The  exiles 
were  not  merged  into  the  mass  of  the  people  where  they  were 
living,  but  retained  their  own  system,  and  were  recognized  as 
a  separate  colony.  Their  dethroned  kings  had  a  semi-royal 
state,  and  at  death  an  honorable  burial  (Jer.  52.  31-34;  34. 
4,  5).  The  captives  were  governed  by  elders,  rulers  of  their 
own  nation  (Ezek.  8.  i  ;  14.  i  ;  20.  i).  Suchasystem  isstill 
pursued  in  the  East,  where  the  government  is  according  to 
race  as  well  as  according  to  locality  ;  that  is,  the  different 
races  in  one  province  will  each  have  separate  rulers.  There 
was  a  "  prince  of  Judah  "  at  the  close  of  the  captivity  (Ezra 
I.  8).  This  fact  of  a  national  organization  was  a  fortunate 
one   for  the  exiles.     If   they   had  been    dispersed   as   slaves 

4* 


82         STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

throughout  the  empire,  or  even  had  been  scattered  as  individ- 
uals, they  would  soon  have  been  merged  among  the  Gentiles, 
and  would  have  lost  their  identity  as  a  people.  But  main- 
taining as  a  separate  race,  and  in  Jewish  communities,  they 
were  readily  gathered  for  a  return  to  their  own  land  when  the 
opportunity  came. 

3.  Their  law  and  worship  were  observed.  There  were 
no  sacrifices,  for  these  could  be  offered  only  at  Jerusalem  in 
the  temple.  But  the  people  gathered  for  worship  and  for  the 
study  of  the  law  far  more  faithfully  than  before  the  exile  ; 
for  adversity  is  a  school  of  religious  character  far  more  than 
prosperity.  The  exile  would  naturally  exert  an  influence  in 
the  direction  of  religion.  While  the  irreligious  and  idolatrous 
among  the  captives  would  soon  drop  out  of  the  nation  and 
be  lost  among  the  Gentiles,  the  earnest,  the  spiritual,  and  the 
God-fearing  would  grow  more  intense  in  their  devotion.  The 
institutions  which  date  from  the  captivity  (noticed  below, 
under  "  Results  of  Captivity  ")  are  an  evidence  of  this  fact. 

4.  They  were  instructed  by  prophets  and  teachers. 
Jeremiah  lived  for  some  time  after  the  beginning  of  the  cap- 
tivity, made  a  visit  to  Babylon,  and  wrote  at  least  one  letter 
to  the  exiles  (Jer.  13.  4-7  ;  29.  1-3).  Daniel  lived  during  the 
captivity,  and,  though  in  the  court,  maintained  a  deep  inter- 
est in  his  people,  and  comforted  them  by  his  prophecies. 
Ezekiel  was  himself  one  of  the  captives,  and  all  his  teach- 
ings were  addressed  to  them  (Ezek.  i.  1-3).  Many  evangel- 
ical and  eminent  Bible  scholars  are  of  the  opinion  that  the 
latter  part  of  Isaiah,  from  the  fortieth  chapter  to  the  end,  was 
given  by  a  "later  Isaiah"  during  the  exile;  but  whether 
written  at  that  time  or  earlier,  it  must  have  circulated  among 
the  captives  and  given  them  new  hope  and  inspiration.  The 
radical  change  in  the  character  of  the  Jews  which  took  place 
during  this  period  shows  that  a  great  revival  swept  over  the 
captive  people  and  brought  them  back  to  the  earnest  religion 
of  their  noblest  ancestors. 


STLl)IES  IX  OLD   TES/'AM EXT  HISTORY.         83 

5.  Their  literature  was  preserved   and  enlarged. 

Internal  evidence  shows  that  the  Books  of  the  Kings  were 
tinished  and  the  Books  of  the  Chronicles  written  at  this  time 
or  soon  afterward  ;  the  Books  of  Daniel,  Ezekiel,  Habakkuk, 
and  other  of  the  minor  i)rophets  were  given  ;  and  a  number 
of  the  best  psalms  were  composed  during  this  epoch,  as  such 
poems  are  likely  to  be  written  in  j)eriods  of  trial  and  sorrow. 
Out  of  the  many  psalms  we  cite  Psalms  124,  126,  129,  130, 
1.37,  as  manifestly  written  during  the  captivitv.  The  exile 
was  an  age  of  life  and  vigor  to  Hebrew  literature. 

V.  THE  RESULTS  OF  THE  CAPTIVITY. 
In  the  year  536  B.  C.  the  city  of  Babylon  was  taken  by  Cyrus, 
King  of  the  combined  Medes  and  Persians.  One  of  his  first 
acts  was  to  issue  an  edict  permitting  the  exiled  Jews  to  return 
to  their  own  country  and  rebuild  their  city.  Not  all  the  Jews 
availed  themselves  of  the  privilege,  for  many  were  already 
rooted  in  their  new  homes,  where  they  had  been  for  two  gen- 
erations. But  a  large  number  returned  (Ezra  2.  64),  and  re- 
established the  city  and  state  of  the  Jews.  The  captivity, 
however,  left  its  impress  upon  the  people  down  to  the  end  of 
their  national  history,  and  even  to  the  present  time. 

1.  There  was  a  change  in  language,  from  Hebrew  to 
Aramaic  or  Chakiaic.  The  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
written  after  the  restoration  are  in  a  different  language  from 
the  earlier  writings.  After  the  captivity  the  Jews  needed  an 
interpreter  in  order  to  understand  their  own  earlier  Scriptures. 
Allusion  to  this  fact  is  given  in  Neh.  8.  7.  The  Chaldee 
of  Babylon  and  the  Hebrew  were  sufficiently  alike  to  cause 
the  people  during  two  generations  to  glide  imperceptibly  from 
one  to  the  other,  until  the  knowledge  of  their  ancient  tongue 
was  lost  to  all  but  the  scholars. 

2.  There  was  a  change  in  habits.  Before  the  cap- 
tivity the  Jews  were  a  secluded  people,  having  scarcely  any 
relation  with  the  world.  The  captivity  brought  them  into 
contact  with  other  nations,  and  greatly  modified  their  manner 


84        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


of  living.  Hitherto  they  had  been  mostly  farmers,  living  on 
their  own  fields ;  now  they  became  merchants  and  traders, 
and  filled  the  world  with  their  commerce.  Rarely  now  do  we 
find  a  Jew  Avho  cultivates  the  ground  for  his  support.  They 
are  in  the  cities,  buying  and  selling.  This  tendency  began 
with  the  Babylonian  captivity,  and  has  since  been  strengthened 
by  the  varied  experiences,  especially  by  the  persecutions  of 
the  Jews  during  the  centuries. 

3.  There  was  a  change  in  character.  This  was  the 
most  radical  of  all.  Before  the  captivity  the  crying  sin  of 
Judah,  as  well  as  of  Israel,  was  its  tendency  to  idolatry. 
Every  prophet  had  warned  against  it  and  rebuked  it  ;  reform- 
ers had  risen  up ;  kings  had  endeavored  to  extirpate,  but  all 
in  vain  ;  the  worshipers  of  God  were  the  few,  the  worshipers 
of  idols  were  the  many.  After  the  captivity  there  was  a 
wonderful  transformation.  From  that  time  we  never  read  of 
a  Jew  bowing  his  knee  before  an  idol.  The  entire  nation 
was  a  unit  in  the  service  of  Jehovah.  Among  all  the  warn- 
ings of  the  later  prophets,  and  the  reforms  of  Ezra  and  Ne- 
hemiah,  there  is  no  allusion  to  idolatry.  That  crime  was  ut- 
terly and  forever  eradicated  ;  from  the  captivity  until  to-day 
the  Jews  have  been  the  people  of  the  one,  invisible  God,  and 
intense  in  their  hatred  of  idols.  We  may  not  know  all  the 
causes  of  this  change,  but  some  of  them  were  :  i.)  The  fact  that 
the  idolatrous  element  largely  perished,  and  the  spiritual  ele- 
ment formed  the  bulk  of  the  captives.  2.)  The  idol-worshipers 
among  the  captives  would  naturally  be  less  loyal  to  the  national 
ideas,  and  would  more  readily  assimilate  with  the  heathen  ; 
while  the  religious  among  the  exiles  would  grow  all  the  more 
devoted  to  their  religion  as  their  only  hope  in  trial.  3.)  The 
most  ardent  lovers  of  their  country  and  their  religion  would  be 
the  most  eager  to  return  after  the  exile  ;  hence,  the  new  state 
was  founded  by  zealous  Jews,  who  gave  it  religious  spirit.  So 
in  modern  times  the  spirit  of  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans  gave 
tone  to  New  England,  and  through  New  England  to  America. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        85 

4.  There  were  new  institutions  as  the  result  of  the 
captivity.     Two  great  institutions  arose  during  tlie  captivity  : 

I.)  The  synagogue,  which  grew  up  among  the  exiles,  was 
carried  back  to  Palestine,  and  was  established  throughout  the 
Jewish  world.  This  was  a  meeting  of  Jews  for  worship,  for 
reading  the  law,  and  for  religious  instruction.  It  had  far 
greater  influence  than  the  temple  after  the  captivity  ;  for 
while  there  was  but  one  temple  in  all  the  Jewish  world,  there 
was  a  synagogue  in  every  city  and  village  where  Jews  lived  ; 
and  while  the  temple  was  the  seat  of  a  priestly  and  ritualistic 
service,  the  synagogue  promoted  freedom  of  religious  thought 
and  utterance.  Out  of  the  synagogue,  far  more  than  the 
temple,  grew  the  Christian  Church. 

2.)  The  order  of  scribes  was  also  a  result  of  the  captivity. 
The  days  of  direct  inspiration  through  prophets  were  passing 
away,  and  those  of  the  written  Scripture,  with  a  class  of  men 
to  study  and  interpret  it,  came  in  their  place.  During  the  cap- 
tivity the  devout  Jews  studied  the  books  of  their  literature, 
the  law,  the  psalms,  the  histories,  and  the  prophets.  After  the 
captivity  arose  a  series  of  scholars  who  were  the  expounders 
of  the  Scriptures.  Their  founder  was  Ezra,  at  once  a  priest, 
a  scribe,  and  a  prophet  (Ezra  7.  i-io),  who  arranged  the 
books  and  in  a  measure  completed  the  canon  of  Old  Tes- 
tament Scripture. 

5.  There   was   a  new  hope,   that  of  a  Messiah. 

From  the  time  of  the  captivity  the  Jewish  people  looked 
forward  with  eager  expectation  to  the  coming  of  a  Deliverer, 
the  Consolation  of  Israel,  the  "Anointed  One  "  (the  word  Mes- 
siah means  "  anointed  "),  who  should  lift  up  his  people  from 
the  dust,  exalt  the  throne  of  David,  and  establish  an  empire 
over  all  the  nations.  This  had  been  jironiised  by  prophets 
for  centuries  before  the  exile,  but  only  then  did  it  begin  to 
shine  as  the  great  hope  of  the  people.  It  grew  brighter  with 
each  generation,  and  finally  appeared  in  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  King  of  Israel. 


86        STUDIES  IN  OID  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

6.  From  the  captivity  there  were  two  parts  of  the 
Jewish  people  ;  the  Jews  of  Palestine,  and  the  Jews  of  the 
dispersion,  i.)  The  Jews  of  Palestine,  sometimes  called  He- 
brews (Acts  6.  i),  were  the  lesser  in  number,  who  lived  in 
their  own  land  and  maintained  the  Jewish  state.  2.)  The 
Jews  of  the  dispersion  were  the  descendants  of  those  who 
did  not  return  after  the  decree  of  Cyrus  (Ezra  i.  i),  but 
remained  in  foreign  lands  and  gradually  formed  Jewish 
"  quarters  "  in  all  the  cities  of  the  ancient  world.  They  were 
the  larger  in  number,  and  later  were  called  "  Grecian  Jews," 
or  Hellenists,  from  the  language  which  they  used  (Acts  6.  i). 
Between  these  two  bodies  there  was  a  close  relation.  The 
Jews  of  the  dispersion  had  synagogues  in  every  city  (Acts 
15.  i),  were  devoted  to  the  law,  made  constant  pilgrimages  to 
Jerusalem,  and  were  recognized  as  having  one  hope  with  the 
Jews  of  Palestine.  The  traits  of  the  two  bodies  were  different, 
but  each  contributed  its  own  element  toward  the  making  of  a 
great  people. 

Blackboard  Outline. 


I.  Cap.  Isr.  Jud.     i.  Isr.  721.    Jud.  587.    2.  Ass.  .Sar. — Chal. 
Neb.       3.  Cas.  Sea. — Riv.   Eup.       4.  Nev.  ret.— 
Bro.  b. 
II.  Thr.  Cap.  Jud.     i.  Jeh.    cap.    607.       2.  Jehn.  cap.  598. 

3.  Zed.  cap.  587. 

III.  Caus.  Cap.     i.  Pol.  Or.  conq.     2.  Reb.  kgs.  Jud.     3.  Riv. 

Eg.  Bab.     4.   Div.  pur.  dis. 

IV.  Con.  Cap.     i.   Kin.  tre.     2.  Org.  main.      3.  Ea.  woi.  obs. 

4.  Ins.  pro.  tea.     5.   Lit.  pre.  enl. 

V.   Res.  Cap.    i.  Ch.  Ian.     2.  Ch.  hab.     3.  Ch.  char.     4.  Ne. 
ins.  (syn.    scr.)     5.   Hop.  Mess.     6.   Two.  par.  peo. 


QUESTIONS  EOR  REVIEW. 

From  what  earlier  captivity  must  that  of  Judah  be  distinguished? 
What  were  the  dates  of  these  two  captivities? 
By  whom  was  each  nation  taken  captive  ? 
Where  was  each  nation  carried  captive  ? 


STUDIES  hN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        87 

What  followed  the  captivity  in  each  nation? 
What  were  the  three  captivities  of  Judah  ? 
What  were  the  events  of  the  first  captivity  of  Judah? 
Who  were  carried  away  at  this  time  ? 
What  date  is  connected  with  this  captivity  ? 
What  were  the  events  of  the  second  captivity  of  Judah  ? 
Who  were  then  taken  away  ? 
What  were  the  events  of  the  third  captivity  ? 
How  long  was  Jerusalem  left  in  ruins  ? 

By  whom,  and  when,  were  the  Jews  permitted  to  return  from  captivity  ? 
What  causes  may  be  assigned  for  the  carrying  away  of  the  Jews  ? 
What  were  the  customs  of  ancient  Oriental  conquerors  ? 
How  did  the  conduct  of  the  kings  of  Judah  bring  on  the  captivity? 
What  rivalry  between  nations  was  a  cause  of  the  captivity? 
What  were  the  two  parties  in  the  kingdom  of  Judah  ? 
How  was  the  carrying  away  of  the  Jews  a  political  necessity  ? 
What  was  the  moral  cause  of  the  captivity  ? 
How  were  the  captive  Jews  treated  ? 

What   evidences   show  that   their  national    organization  was  continued 
during  the  captivity  ? 

Why  was  this  fact  a  fortunate  one  for  the  exiles  ? 

What  customs  of  the  Jews  were  observed  during  the  captivity? 

What  instructors  did  the  Jews  have  during  this  period  ? 

What  was  the  condition  of  Jewish  literature  during  the  captivity  ? 

What  events  followed  the  decree  of  Cyrus  ? 

Did  all  the  exiles  of  the  Jews  return  ? 

What  change  in  language  was  wrought  by  the  captivity  ? 

What  change  in  habits  followed  the  captivity  ? 

What  great  change  in  religion  came  as  the  result  of  the  captivity? 

How  can  that  change  be  accounted  for? 

What  two  institutions  arose  during  the  captivity  ? 

What  new  hope  arose  at  this  time  ? 

How  were  the  Jews  divided  after  the  captivity  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

Thk  Gkkat  Oriental  Emi'ikes. 
The  City  oi'  Babylon. 
The  Prophets  of  the  Captivity. 
The  Psalms  of  the  Captivity. 
The  Reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
The  Fall  of  Babylon. 


s8      studies  in  old  testament  history. 
Tenth  Study. 

THE    JEWISH    PROVINCE. 

From  the  return  of  the  exiles,  B.  C.  536,  to  the  final  destruc- 
tion of  the  Jewish  state  by  the  Romans,  A.  D.  70,  the  history 
of  the  chosen  people  is  closely  interwoven  with  that  of  the 
East  in  general.  During  most  of  this  time  Judea  was  a  sub- 
ject province,  belonging  to  the  great  empires  which  rose  and 
fell  in  succession.  For  a  brief  but  brilliant  period  it  was  an 
independent  state,  with  its  own  rulers.  As  most  of  this  period 
comes  between  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  its  events  are 
less  familiar  to  Bible  readers  than  the  other  portions  of  Isra- 
elite history.  We  therefore  give  more  space  than  usual  to 
the  facts,  only  selecting  the  most  important,  and  omitting  all 
that  have  no  direct  relation  with  the  development  of  the  di- 
vine plan  in  the  Jewish  people. 

I.  The  history  divides  itself  into  FOUR  PERIODS,  as 
follows  : 

I.  The  Persian  period,  B.  C.  536  to  330,  from  Cyrus  to 
Alexander,  while  the  Jewish  province  was  a  part  of  the  Per- 
sian Empire.  Very  few  events  of  these  two  centuries  have 
been  recorded,  but  it  appears  to  have  been  a  period  of  quiet 
prosperity  and  growth.  The  Jews  were  governed  by  their 
high-priests  under  the  general  control  of  the  Persian  govern- 
ment.    The  principal  events  of  this  period  were: 

I.)  The  second  temple.  (B.  C.  535-515-)  This  was  begun 
soon  after  the  return  from  exile  (Ezra  3.  1,2,  8),  but  was  not 
completed  until  twenty-one  years  afterward  (Ezra  6.  15,  16). 
It  was  smaller  and  less  splendid  than  that  of  Solomon,  but 
was  built  upon  the  same  plan. 

2.)  Queeti  Esther's  deliverance.  (B.  C.  474.)  This  took 
place,  not  in  Judea,  but  in  Shushan  (Susa),  the  capital  of  the 
Persian  Empire.  The  king  referred  to  as  Ahasuerus  was  prob- 
ably Xerxes,  and  the  events  of   Esther's  elevation  and  inter- 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        89 

session  took  place  after  the  defeat  of  his  invasion  of  Greece. 
The  whole  story  is  in  accord  with  both  Persian  customs  and 
the  character  of  Xerxes. 

3.)  Ezras  reformation.  (B.  C.  450.)  The  coming  to  Jeru- 
salem of  Ezra  the  scribe  was  a  great  event  in  Israelite  his- 
tory ;  for,  aided  by  Nehemiah,  he  led  in  a  great  reformation 
of  the  people.  He  found  them  neglecting  their  law  and  follow- 
ing foreign  customs.  He  awakened  an  enthusiasm  for  the  Mo- 
saic law,  aroused  the  patriotism  of  tlie  people,  and  renewed 
the  ancient  faith.  His  work  gave  him  the  title  of  "  the  second 
founder  of  Israel." 

4.)  The  separation  of  the  Samaritans.  (B.  C.  409.)  For 
the  origin  of  the  Samaritans,  see  2  Kings  17.  22-34.  They 
were  a  mingled  people,  both  in  race  and  religion  ;  but  until 
the  captivity  were  permitted  to  worship  in  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem. After  the  return  from  Babylon  the  Samaritans  and 
the  Jews  grew  further  and  further  a^art.  The  Samaritans 
opposed  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  (Ezra  4.  9-24),  and  de- 
layed it  for  many  years  ;  and  a  century  later  strove  to  prevent 
Nehemiah  from  building  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  (Neh.  4.  2). 
Finally  they  established  a  rival  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim, 
and  thenceforth  the  two  races  were  in  bitter  enmity  (John  4.  9). 

5.)  The  completion  of  the  Old  Testament  canon.  The  proph- 
ets at"ter  the  restoration  were  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi; 
but  the  author  of  most  of  the  latest  books  was  Ezra,  who  also 
arranged  the  Old  Testament  nearly,  perhaps  fully,  in  its 
present  form.  Thenceforward  no  more  books  were  added, 
and  the  scribe  or  interpreter  took  the  place  of  the  prophet. 

2.  The  Greek  period.  (B.  C.  330-166.)  In  the  year  330 
B.  C.  Ale.xander  the  Great  won  the  empire  of  Persia  in  the 
great  battle  of  Arbela,  by  which  the  sovereignty  of  the  East 
was  transferred  from  Asia  to  Europe,  and  a  new  chapter  in 
the  history  of  the  world  was  opened.  Alexander  died  at  the 
hour  when  his  conquests  were  completed,  and  before  they 
could  be  organized  and  assimilated ;  but   the  kingdoms  into 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        91 

which  his  empire  was  divided  were  all  under  Oreek  kings, 
and  were  all  Greek  in  language  and  civilization.  Judea  was 
on  the  border  between  Syria  and  Egypt,  and  belonged  alter- 
nately to  each  kingdom.  We  divide  this  period  into  three 
subdivisions. 

I.)  The  reign  of  Alexander.  (B.  C.  330-321.)  The  Jews 
had  been  well  treated  by  the  Persian  kings  and  remained 
faithful  to  Darius,  the  last  King  of  Persia,  in  his  useless 
struggle.  Alexander  marched  against  Jerusalem,  determined 
to  visit  upon  it  heavy  punishment  for  its  opposition,  but  (ac- 
cording to  tradition)  was  met  by  Jaddua,  the  high-priest,  and 
turned  from  an  enemy  to  a  friend  of  the  Jews. 

2.)  The  Egyptian  supremacy.  (B.  C.  3 1 1-19S.)  In  the  di- 
vision of  Alexander's  conquests  Judea  was  annexed  to  Syria, 
but  it  soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  Egypt,  and  was  governed  by 
the  Ptolemies  (Greek  kings  of  Egypt)  until  198  B.  C.  The 
only  important  events  of  this  period  were  the  rule  of  Simon  the 
Juat,  an  exceptionally  able  high-priest,  about  300  B.  C.,  and 
the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  into  the  Greek  language 
for  the  use  of  the  Jews  of  Alexandria,  who  had  lost  the  use 
of  Hebrew  or  Chaldee.  This  translation  was  made  about  286 
B.  C.,  according  to  Jewish  tradition,  and  is  known  as  the 
Septuagint  version.  It  was  regarded  as  an  act  of  sacrilege 
by  the  Palestinian  Jews  to  translate  their  Holy  Scriptures  into 
the  language  of  heathens,  and  for  centuries  the  anniversary 
of  the  completion  of  the  Septuagint  was  observed  as  a  day  of 
humiliation  and  prayer. 

3.)  The  Syrian  supremacy.  (B.  C.  198-166.)  About  the 
year  198  B.  C.  Judea  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Syrian  king- 
dom, also  ruled  by  a  (ireek  dynasty,  the  Seleucidie,  or  de- 
scendants of  Seleucus.  This  cliange  of  rulers  brought  to  the 
Jews  a  change  of  treatment.  Hitherto  they  had  been  per- 
mitted to  live  undisturbed  upon  their  mountains,  and  to  enjoy 
a  measure  of  liberty,  both  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  matters. 
But  now  the  Syrian  kings  not  only  robbed  them  of  their  free- 


92        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

dom,  but  also  undertook  to  compel  them  to  renounce  their 
religion  by  one  of  the  most  cruel  persecutions  in  all  history. 
The  temple  was  desecrated  and  left  to  ruin,  and  the  worship- 
ers of  Jehovah  were  tortured  and  slain,  in  the  vain  endeavor 
to  introduce  the  Greek  and  Syrian  forms  of  idolatry  among 
the  Jews.  Heb.  ii.  33-40,  is  supposed  to  refer  to  this  per- 
secution. When  Antiochus,  the  Syrian  king,  found  that 
the  Jews  could  not  be  driven  from  their  faith,  he  deliber- 
ately determined  to  exterminate  the  whole  nation.  Un- 
counted thousands  of  Jews  were  slaughtered,  other  thousands 
were  sold  as  slaves,  Jerusalem  was  well  nigh  destroyed,  the 
temple  was  dedicated  to  Jupiter  Olympius,  and  the  orgies  of 
the  Bacchanalia  were  substituted  for  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
The  religion  of  Jehovah  and  the  race  of  the  Jews  seemed  on 
the  verge  of  utter  annihilation  in  their  own  land. 

3.  The  Maccabean  period.  (B.  C.  166-40.)  But  the 
darkest  hour  precedes  the  day  ;  the  cruelties  of  the  Syrians 
caused  a  new  and  splendid  epoch  to  rise  upon  Israel. 

I.)  The  revolt  of  Mattathias.  In  the  year  170  B.  C.  an  aged 
priest,  Mattathias,  unfurled  the  banner  of  independence  from 
the  Syrian  yoke.  He  did  not  at  first  aim  for  political  free- 
dom, but  religious  liberty  ;  but  after  winning  a  few  victories 
over  the  Syrian  armies  he  began  to  dream  of  a  free  Jewish 
state.  He  died  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  but  was  succeeded 
by  his  greater  son,  Judas  Maccabeus.* 

2.)  Judas  Maccabeus  gained  a  greater  success  than  had 
been  dreamed  at  the  beginning  of  the  revolt.  Within  four 
years  the  Jews  recaptured  Jerusalem  and  reconsecrated  the 
temple.  (The  anniversary  of  this  event  was  ever  after  cele- 
brated in  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  John  10.  22.)     Judas  ranks 

*  The  origin  of  this  title  is  obscure.  Some  regard  it  as  meaning  "the  hammer,"  like  a 
similar  name  in  the  Middle  Ages,  Charles  Martel.  Others  say  that  it  was  a  part  of  the 
Hebrew  inscription  on  the  banner  of  Judas,  "  Micamo  Ka  Baalim  Jehovah,"  "Who  is 
like  unto  thee  among  the  gods,  O  Jehovah  ?  "  Still  others  that  it  was  made  up  as  a  sort  of 
charm  from  the  last  letters  of  the  words  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob.  The  Maccabean  princes 
were  also  called  Asmoneans. 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


93 


in  history  as  one  of  the  noblest  of  the  Jewish  heroes,  and  de- 
serves a  place  beside  Joshua,  Gideon,  and  Samuel  as  a  liber- 
ator and  reformer. 

3.)  The  Maccabean  dynasty.  Judas  refused  the  title  of 
king,  but  his  family  established  a  line  of  rulers  who  by  de- 
grees assumed  a  royal  state,  and  finally  the  royal  title.  In 
the  year   143  B.  C.  Jewish   liberty  was  formally  recognized, 


ROMAN  KMPIRK 


and  the  Maccabean  princes  ruled  for  a  time  over  an  independ- 
ent state.  Between  130  and  iio  B.  C.  Edom,  Samaria,  and 
Galilee  were  added  to  Judea.  The  latter  province  had  been 
known  as  "  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles  "  (Isa.  9.  i);  but  by  degrees 
the  foreigners  withdrew,  and  the  province  was  occujMed  by 
Jews  who  were  as  devoted  and  loyal  as  those  of  Jerusalem. 

4.)  The  rise  of  the  sects.  About  B.  C.  100  the  two  sects,  or 
schools  of  thought,  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  began  to 
appear,  though  their  [)rinciplcs  had  long  been  working.  The 
Pharisees  (''  separatists  ")  sought  for  absolute  separation  from 
the  Gentile  world  and  a  strict  construction  of  the  law  of 
Moses,  while  the  Sadducees  ("  moralists  ")  were  liberal  in  their 
their  theories  and  in  their  lives. 


94 


STUDIES  I.Y  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 


4.  The  Roman  period.  (B.  C.  40-A.  D.  70.)  It  is  not 
easy  to  name  a  date  for  the  beginning  of  the  Roman  suprem- 
acy in  Palestine.  It  began  in  B.  C.  6t„  when  Pompey  the 
Great  (afterward  the  antagonist  of  Julius  Caesar)  was  asked 
to  intervene  between  two  claimants  for  the  Jewish  throne, 
Hyrcanus  and  Aristobulus.  Pompey  decided  for  Hyrcanus, 
and  aided  him  by  a  Roman  army.  In  his  interest  he  be- 
sieged and  took  Jerusalem,  and  then  placed  Hyrcanus  in 
power,  but  without  the  title  of  king.  From  this  time  the 
Romans  were  practically,  though  not  nominally,  in  control  of 
affairs. 

I.)  Herod  the  Great.  We  assign  as  the  date  of  the  Roman 
rule  40  B,  C,  when  Herod  (son  of  Antipater,   an  Edomite, 

who  had  been  the 
general  of  Hyrcanus) 
received  the  title  of 
king  from  the  Roman 
Senate.  From  this 
time  Palestine  was 
regarded  as  a  part  of 
the  Roman  Empire. 
Herod  was  the  ablest 
man  of  his  age,  and 
one  of  the  most  un- 
scrupulous. He  ruled 
over  all  Palestine, 
Idumea  (ancient 
Edom),  and  the  lands 
south  of  Damascus. 

2.)  Herod's  temple. 
Herod  was  thorough- 
ly hated  by  the  Jews, 
less  for  his  character 
than  for  his  foreign  birth.  To  gain  their  favor  he  began  re- 
building  the  temple  upon  a  magnificent   scale.     It  was  not 


PALESTINE/^ 

m  TBE  TIME  OF 

CHRIST  ''' 

Scale  of  Miles      ^% 


^    aclia 

^ A.^Ea 


STUDIES  IN  OLD   TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        95 

completed  until  long  after  his  death,  which  took  place  at 
Jericho  about  the  time  when  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  King  of 
the  Jews,  was  born  (Matt.  2.  i,  2). 

3.)  The  tetrarchies.  By  Herod's  will  his  donunions  were 
divided  into  four  tetrarchies  ("quarter-rulings,"  a  title  for  a 
fourth  part  of  a  kingdom).  Three  of  these  were  in  Pales- 
tine— Archelaus  receiving  Judea,  Idumea,  and  Samaria;  An- 
tipas  (the  Herod  of  Luke  4.  19,  20;  23.  7-1 1)  receiving  Galilee 
and  Perea  ;  and  Philip  (Luke  3.  i)  having  the  district  of  Ba- 
shan.  About  A.  D.  6  Archelaus  was  deposed,  and  a  Roman, 
Coponius,  was  appointed  the  first  Procurator  of  Judea,  which 
was  made  a  part  of  the  prefecture  of  Syria.  The  rest  of  Jew- 
ish annals  belongs  properly  to  the  New  Testament  history. 

n.  Through  these  periods  we  notice  the  gradual  PREP- 
ARATION FOR  THE  GOSPEL,  which  was  steadily 
advancing. 

1.  There  was  a  political  preparation.  Six  centuries 
before  Christ  the  world  around  the  Mediterranean  was  di- 
vided into  states,  whose  normal  condition  was  war.  At  no 
time  was  peace  prevalent  over  all  the  world  at  once.  If  Christ 
had  come  at  that  time  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  estab- 
lish the  Gospel  except  through  war  and  conquest.  But  king- 
doms were  absorbed  into  empires,  empires  rose  and  fell  by 
turns,  each  with  a  larger  conception  of  the  nation  than  its 
predecessor.  From  the  crude  combination  of  undigested 
states  in  the  Assyrian  Empire  to  the  orderly,  assimilated,  sys- 
tematic condition  of  the  Roman  world  was  a  great  advance. 
Christ  appeared  at  the  only  point  in  the  world's  history  when 
the  great  nations  of  the  world  were  under  one  government, 
with  a  system  of  roads  such  that  a  traveler  could  pass  from 
Mesopotamia  to  Spain  and  could  sail  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
in  perfect  safety. 

2.  There  was  a  preparation  of  language.  The  con- 
quests of  Alexander,  though  accomplished  in  ten  years,  left  a 
deeper  impress  upon  the  world  than  any  other  two  centuries 


96        STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

of  history.  They  gave  to  the  whole  of  that  world  one  lan- 
guage, the  noblest  tongue  ever  spoken  by  human  lips,  "  a 
language  fit  for  the  gods,"  as  men  said.  Through  Alexander 
Greek  cities  were  founded  every-where  in  the  East,  Greek 
kingdoms  were  established,  the  Greek  literature  and  the  Greek 
civilization  covered  all  the  lands.  That  was  the  language  in 
which  Paul  preached  the  Gospel,  and  in  which  the  New  Tes- 
tament was  written — the  only  language  of  the  ancient  world 
in  which  the  thoughts  of  the  Gospel  could  be  readily  ex- 
pressed. While  each  land  had  its  own  tongue,  the  Greek 
tongue  was  common  in  all  lands. 

3.  While  these  preparations  were  going  on  there  was  another 
in  progress  at  the  same  time,  the  preparation  of  a  race. 
We  might  point  to  the  history  of  the  Israelites  from  the  mi- 
gration of  Abraham  as  a  training ;  but  we  refer  now  to  their 
special  preparation  for  their  mission  after  the  restoration, 
B.  C.  536.  There  was  a  divine  purpose  in  the  division  of  Juda- 
ism into  two  streams  ;  one  a  little  fountain  in  Palestine,  the 
other  a  river  dispersed  over  all  the  lands.  Each -branch  had 
its  part  in  the  divine  plan.  One  was  to  concentrate  its  en- 
ergies upon  the  divine  religion,  to  study  the  sacred  books,  to 
maintain  a  chosen  people,  whose  bigotry,  narrowness,  and  in- 
tolerance kept  them  from  destruction ;  the  other  branch 
was  out  in  the  world,  where  every  Jewish  synagogue  in  a 
heathen  city  kept  alive  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  dissemi- 
nated that  knowledge,  drawing  around  it  the  thoughtful, 
spiritual  minds  who  were  looking  for  something  better  than 
heathenism.  Palestine  gave  the  Gospel,  but  the  Jews  of  the 
dispersion  carried  it  to  the  Gentiles,  and  each  synagogue  in 
the  foreign  world  became  the  nucleus  of  a  Christian  Church, 
where  for  the  first  time  Jew  and  Gentile  met  as  equals. 

4.  Finally,  there  was  the  preparation  of  a  religion. 
The  Gospel  of  Christ  was  not  a  new  religion ;  it  was  the  new 
development  of  an  old  religion.  As  we  study  the  Old  Tes- 
tament we  see  that  each  epoch  stands  upon  a  higher  religious 


STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.        97 

plane.  There  is  an  enlargement  of  spiritual  vision  between 
Abraham  and  Moses;  between  Moses  and  David;  between 
David  and  Isaiah ;  between  Isaiah  and  John  the  Baptist. 
Pharisee  and  Sadducee  each  held  a  share  of  the  truth  which 
embraced  the  best  thought  of  both  sects.  The  work  of  many 
scribes  prepared  the  way  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and 
just  when  revelation  was  brought  up  to  the  highest  level, 
when  a  race  was  trained  to  apprehend  and  proclaim  it,  when 
a  language  had  been  created  and  diffused  to  express  it,  when 
tlie  world  was  united  in  one  great  brotherhood  of  states,  ready 
to  receive  it — then,  in  the  fullness  of  times,  the  Christ  was 
manifested,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed  forever. 

Blackboard  Outline. 


I.  Four  Per.  i.  Per.  per.  i.)  Sec.  tern.  2.)  Q.  Es.  del. 
3.)  Ez.  ref.  4.)  Sep.  Sam.  5.)  Com.  O.  T. 
can. 

2.  Gk.    per.       i.)    Rei.    Alex.       2.)  Eg.    sup. 
3.)  Syr.  sup. 

3.  Mace.  per.     i.)  Rev.  Mat.     2.)  Jud.  Mace. 
3.)  Mace.  dyn.     4.)  Ri.  sec. 

4.  Rom.    per.      i.)  Her.   Gr.      2.)    Her.    tern. 
3)  Tetr. 

H.  Prep.  Gosp.      i.   Pol.  prep.      2.  Prep.    Ian.       3.   Prep.  rac. 
4.  Prep.  rel. 


QUESTIONS   FOR    REVIEW. 

With  what  history  is  that  of  the  Jews  interwoven  during  this  period  ? 
What  was  the  political  condition  of  the  Jews  at  this  time? 
What  are  the  four  periods  of  this  history? 
Who  were  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  during  the  first  period  ? 
What  building  was  erected  after  the  return  from  captivity? 
What  great  deliverance  was  effected  by  a  woman  ? 
What  great  reforms  were  effected  by  a  scribe  ? 
What  title  has  been  given  to  him  ? 

Wliat  were  the  events  connected  with  the  separation  of  the  Samaritans  ? 
Who  were  the  prophets  of  the  restoration? 
5 


98         STUDIES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

By  whom  was  the  Old  Testament  canon  arranged? 

What  brought  on  the  Greek  period  ? 

What  events  of  Jewish  history  were  connected  with  Alexander  the  Great  ? 

Under  what  people  did  tlie  Jews  fall  afterward  ? 

What  were  the  events  of  the  Egyptian  rule  ? 

What  is  the  Septuagint  ? 

How  was  its  translation  regarded  by  the  Jews  of  Palestine? 

In  what  kingdom,  after  Egypt,  did  Judea  fall  ? 

How  was  it  governed  by  its  new  masters  ? 

Who  instituted  a  great  persecution  ? 

What  was  the  effect  of  this  persecution  ? 

Who  led  the  Jews  in  revolt  ? 

What  great  hero  arose  at  this  time? 

What  line  of  rulers  arose  in  his  family? 

What  was  the  growth  of  the  Jewish  state  at  this  time  ? 

What  sects  of  the  Jews  arose  ? 

How  did  Judea  fall  under  the  Roman  power  ? 

Whom  did  the  Romans  establish  as  king  ? 

What  were  his  dominions  ? 

What  building  did  he  erect? 

How  was  his  kingdom  divided  after  his  death? 

What  finally  became  of  Judea  ? 

Subjects  for  Special  Papers. 

Cyrus  the  Emancipator. 

The  Conquests  of  Alexander. 

Judas  Maccabeus. 

The  Jewish  Sects. 

Herod  the  Great. 

The  Jews  of  the  Dispersion. 


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